


Eventide

by edwardskhakipants



Category: Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: F/M, Twilight Series Rewrite
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:08:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 42
Words: 150,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25537831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/edwardskhakipants/pseuds/edwardskhakipants
Summary: College AU. E/B. Switched between Bella's POV and Edward's POV.
Relationships: Edward Cullen/Bella Swan
Comments: 74
Kudos: 81





	1. A New Song

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Welcome to my college AU fic. I am having so much fun with this. I'm turning Stephanie Meyer's Twilight novels into something less.... cringy. I took out any and all traces of Mormon, racism, misogyny, and pedophilia and added in a lighter, sillier tone and healthier relationships all around. Thank you for reading! Please enjoy! 
> 
> These characters and ideas do belong to Stephanie Meyer.

**B-POV**

I awoke to the pitter patter of rain on my bedroom window. Like the day before, and the day before that, and most likely, every day for the next four years. After being forced to move to the rainy Pacific Northwest in high school, I had longed for the day when I would finally escape to college someplace warm, sunny and far. However, January of my Junior year, I got hit by a van and the hospital bills ate up my college tuition and my dreams. I was forced to attend a school nearby and live at home with my father, Charlie, to save money. While all the other freshmen were moving into their dorm rooms and having the first free weekend of their adult lives, I suffered through awkward silences and even more awkward conversations with Charlie.

I lay in bed not quite ready to get up and face the horrors of the unknown: college. It was probably for the best that I was sentenced to this house instead of living on campus. My hypothetical roommate would have found me quiet and strange, and after realizing I had nothing to offer underneath my shy exterior, she would have sought other friends. At least living at Charlie’s place gave me a place to run away to when I was inevitably rejected, and no one but my father would have to force themselves to be nice to me.

I didn’t get along well with people my age, and I had decided that since I was in college I was no longer going to play any games. College was not going to be a repeat of high school where I all but sold my soul to fit in, just to watch my friends desert me. I was going to be unabashedly me, even though I already knew it wouldn’t end well.

With that cheerful thought, I rolled out of bed. I figured that was enough self-pity for one morning.

My style could be described as “eclectic”, but was actually “whatever I found at Goodwill in my size”. The “thrifting” craze wreaked havoc on my wardrobe. Although I was endlessly mocked in middle school for sporting second-hand clothing, the popular girls in my high school deemed it cool and cute to be eco-friendly and save some money by thrifting, and took anything salvageable from people who actually couldn’t afford to go anywhere but thrift shops. Those kids who were raised by a single mother on a waitress’s tips. Those kids whose aforementioned mothers spent their money on frivolous activities and clubs that she would end up neglecting but would still pay the membership fees for. Those kids who had to get a job at the stupid sporting goods store in town just to make seven dollars an hour on weekends. Kids like me.

High school Bella was embarrassed at the lack of style and choice. She would fret for hours attempting to construct a decent outfit, only to end up upset and disappointed. College Bella? She threw on the first bottom and the first top her hands touched and didn’t bother to look in the mirror.

I stopped at the top of the staircase, carefully listening for sounds of Charlie. After a few silent seconds, I deemed the kitchen safe for entry. I coaxed the coffee maker into brewing a pot of coffee, knowing I had a long drive ahead of me.

“Morning, Bella,” Charlie called from behind, causing me to jump. Half of the coffee from my thermos ended up on the floor. I sighed and reached for a paper towel to clean up the mess.

“Hey Charlie,” I greeted from the floor.

“Early morning?”

“Yea, I’m meeting up with some girls I met at orientation for breakfast on campus,” I informed my father, who was never this involved with my microscopic social life.

“Breakfast plans? Don’t kids like to sleep in?”

“Well, Dad, the other girls actually live on campus. They’ll be getting up at a normal hour. I have to drive in.”

He grumbled to himself and took a seat at the table, “Well, go on then. Have a good day, Bella.”

“You too!” Ducking briefly from the chill of the morning, I flung myself out the door with my ever-present raincoat in tow and climbed into the bulbous cab of my ’57 Chevy. I began the sixty-minute drive that I will take twice a day for the next four years.

*******

**E-POV**

“Time for school, sweetie,” my brother called to me in a bad impression of a woman. His voice matched his physique: large and brawny.

I sarcastically grinned at Emmett. “Thanks, mom,” I joked back, “What no lunch?” I feigned shock at his empty hands.

He snickered. “We’ll pick up some roadkill on the way, dear.”

Emmett and I were headed towards my car, getting ready to drive to University of Washington in downtown Seattle. We were enrolled there with the rest of our siblings, but Emmett and I were the only ones with 8:00am classes; the other’s schedules didn’t start until later. Every twenty years or so, we would all go back to college to pick up another talent or degree. Eternal life got dreadfully boring when you stayed on the same career path for too long. Especially when you could only hold a normal job for five years at a time. Emmett was going for construction management so he could help our real fake mother, Esme, with her newest obsession: historical renovation. I was going for Premed. My fake father, Carlisle, was a doctor and preferred it when one of us went to medical school for him every once in a while, so he could keep up with current jargon and technique. He was the only one of us who stayed on one career path—he’s been an ER doctor, or close to it, for the past three-hundred years. I always happily complied; this will be my third medical degree.

My sister Rosalie stepped out with us as well. She brushed back her long, blond hair and passionately kissed Emmett goodbye, hamming up her body language. She and Emmett were soulmates and liked to show that to the world as physically as possible as much as possible.

Much to my dismay, Carlisle had also asked Rose to attend medical school with me. To top it off, she also chose to get a minor in music.

Thankfully we weren’t in any of the same classes this semester. Rose and I did not get off to a good start, and we never tried to improve the relationship. She was constantly trying to one-up me, and often succeeded. She had one more medical degree than I did, and was keen on getting more. The music interest was new, though. I guess she decided to become a better doctor and a better musician than me. Great.

Emmett had wrapped his burly arms around her waist and pulled her up closer to his face. When he started moaning with pleasure from the kiss, I decided enough was enough. I picked up a rock near my feet and threw it at his head.

Rosalie hissed at me, but Emmett guffawed. “Alright, alright. I get it. Let’s go.”

“I’m coming with you, too” Rose stated. She smiled at me, “I was able to fudge former transcripts, so I get to skip the 100 level science labs and start the 300 level courses right away. Organismal Biology begins at 8 this morning.”

I smiled ruefully, “Well aren’t you special?”

“I am. With all this extra time, I can bump my music minor up to a music major.”

I sighed. Of course she could.

With Rose tagging along it would be a tight squeeze in my beautiful Aston Martin, but we’d make do,

“Let’s go.”

 _Wait, wait, wait!_ I heard my sister, Alice think from the second floor, using my mind reading ability to her advantage.

She appeared in the doorway, “I saw the professor for my accounting class was going to start the semester with a pop quiz, so I dropped that class and switched to another one for 10:15 this morning. This class will have bagels.” Like my mind reading, Alice had the ability for foresight. She was small, tricky and magical—like the Fae.

“You can’t even eat the bagels,” I told her.

She shrugged, “I appreciate the gesture behind them. Because I had to switch accounting, I also had to switch the macro-economics that was supposed to be at 10:15 to an 8am.”

Jasper followed her to the car. He and Alice were soulmates as well, and where she went, he would follow. Even if that meant sitting around campus for four hours until his Anthropology class started later this afternoon.

I sighed internally and looked over at my four siblings. Now that Emmett and I weren’t the only ones driving, I wouldn’t be able to take my pretty Vanquish. We would have to stick with the more practical SUV—or worse—the Volvo. Ugh, I hated the Volvo.

With a mischievous grin hinting at my lips, I threw the Volvo keys and Rosalie, and hopped in the Vanquish through the window.

“Dammit, Edward. You can’t make me drive this thing!” she yelled me while the car was already in reverse. She hated the Volvo almost as much as I did, and she also couldn’t fit everyone in her precious M3.

In less than twenty minutes, I was on campus. I crept out of the car, and filtered myself into the crowd of bleary college students heading towards their first class of the semester.

In the beginning of my vampirism, I pressured myself into blending in with humans flawlessly. I thought being an adored pillar of the community like Carlisle was the only way to be accepted into human society as a soulless, bloodsucking vampire. It was a bold goal, and one I could not ascertain as easily as my father; his gift being perfect control.

My gift hurt the endeavor more than it helped. It was difficult enough to ignore my instinct to kill without knowing that someone was an asshole racist, or was cheating on their wife, or actually enjoyed disco. It was also hard to treat someone with professional courtesy when you could see the vulgar sexual acts they wished they were performing with you during the conversation.

After thirty years of that nonsense, I let my defenses drop tremendously; I walked around talking to myself, defensively answered questions no one asked, snickered at jokes I heard from far away, played air piano in public… I realized that if I was classified as a dorky freak, the raunchy, infatuation aimed at me would lessen, and I didn’t have to be so guarded. It was a win-win.

I walked into my first class of the semester: music appreciation. I would most likely know most of the material covered in the class, but I liked to take these courses anyway. This particular professor could have a viewpoint I have yet to hear, or even introduce me to a new composer. Any new knowledge was welcome to me, no matter how far down I had to dig to get it.

There was a chorus of silent cheers when I walked into the classroom, it was surprisingly lively for an 8am class. Humans were usually drooping over their coffees this time of day. Everyone interested in men was wishing I would take the seat next to them and fantasied initiating a conversation with me and falling in love. These kind of daydreams were nothing new and easy to dismiss. I began to sing to myself, just under my breath in order to ostracize myself. It worked on some thoughts, but others were still enamored. I sat next to a lesbian couple in the back of the room, safe from any stares, and drummed my fingers on the desk throughout the lecture.

*******

**B-POV**

The truck moved slow, but I accounted for that. The next class wouldn’t start for another fifteen minutes, and it was only the students with 8ams here so far, so it was easy to find parking.

I made my way to Windermere Dining Hall, where I was scheduled to meet my two suitemates from freshman orientation. We had exchanged numbers and made this breakfast date right before leaving. The dining hall was easy to spot, it was one of the only buildings on campus that was covered with metal siding rather than exposed bricks. It was a bit simple and ugly, but the inside made up for it. Once in the building, floor to ceiling windows provided a fantastic view of Lake Washington.

I recognized Jessica and Angela sitting on a bench in the vestibule. They both looked at me with a blank face, clearly not remembering what I looked like. Their forgetfulness was fair; I was absolutely ordinary. I was just another white girl with brown hair and brown eyes, like thousands of others who attended this very school.

I gave them a little wave to jog their memory, “Hey guys. I’m Isabella Swan.”

Recognition flickered across Angela’s face; Jessica remained aloof.

“Bella! Hey!” Angela greeted me.

Jessica took the hint and followed suit, “Hey!”

I greeted them both, feeling self-conscious. We made our way silently into the dining hall, and split up to find food. I wanted the eggs and toast at the station Jessica was waiting in line for, but I didn’t know if I could make small talk with her without having Angela as a buffer. So, I went to the breakfast sandwich line and decided I could pick the eggs off of that.

Feeling like a high schooler again, I met them in the middle of the room with my tray of food. Tables filled up fast, so we were forced to huddle under an umbrella at a table outside.

“When’s your first class?” I asked, wondering how long breakfast would last.

“10:15. I got time,” Angela stated.

“I already had an 8am. Music Appreciation,” Jessica grumbled. Then her eyes lit up, “But! The most gorgeous guy was in the class. I considered dropping, but, ugh, looking at him will make getting up worth it.”

“Oooh,” Angela encouraged, “What does he look like?”

“I can’t even describe it. He’s indescribably perfect.” Jessica giggled “I think I’m in love.” 

"Impressive, true love in your first class. You’re well on your way to get that ring by spring,” I teased.

Jessica giggled again.

We continued chatting about our upcoming classes, and whether or not you can get a to-go cup of coffee from the dining hall, or if you had to get it from somewhere else when Jessica gasped and slapped my arm. “There he is, there he is!!!” she hissed. “The red head! Edward Cullen…”

Angela and I turned to look at Jessica’s future husband.

Holy hell, she was not kidding. The gorgeous boy towered over the students walking around him. His gait was graceful. His body was perfect, starting with his wide shoulders, across his chest that he displayed marvelously in his tight t-shirt, all the way down to his perfect, round butt. Dear god, you could bounce a quarter off that ass.

He paused and turned to face us, as if he could feel us staring at his butt. God almighty his face was more perfect than his body; it was hard to believe such a thing were possible. His full lips were curved up into a mischievous grin. He looked more like a Greek god than a member of the student body.

Then, his mouth fell slightly open. When my eyes reached his, I realized they were staring at me. I had never seen such eyes: so dark they were almost black, full of hunger, desire, need. I could stare into those depthless eyes for eternity and never reach the bottom.

I barely noticed Jessica address me. My eyes were locked onto him like a deer in headlights. His perfect eyebrows crumpled in confusion and he cocked his head to the side, still staring. His expression was odd, like he was searching for something.

“Do you know him from somewhere?” Jessica asked, breaking the spell.

I shook my head.

“Edward!” A blonde girl as beautiful as him strode up beside him. She held out her hand waiting for something and tapped her foot impatiently. Edward dug around his backpack for a brief moment and handed her something small. They walked off together.

“W-o-w,” Angela dragged out the word.

“Do you think that was his girlfriend?” Jessica asked glumly. “She was so pretty, she had to be his girlfriend.”

“You don’t know that,” Angela encouraged. “Right, Bella?”

It took me a moment to snap back to reality, and reply to Angela. We switched subjects over to TV shows, and although I was no longer dazzled by the eyes of the perfect stranger, I could not dull the flames that engulfed my heart.

*******

**E-POV**

I stayed behind in the music building and locked myself into a practice room to play the piano. Partly because my next class didn’t start until 10:15 and partly because I was avoiding Rosalie. I knew if she spotted my she would have demanded the keys to the Vanquish and forced me to drive our siblings home in the Volvo. I shuddered. The Volvo.

Music was something I could always turn to for comfort. In all of the years I spent alone surrounded by three pairs of perfect lovers, among all of the depression of hearing the thoughts of everyone around me, I could always find a song to help me cope with what I was feeling. And If I couldn’t find one to covey what I needed properly, I would write one.

I played for a while, until I could hear the thoughts of three girls in the practice room behind me, gawking at my back muscles. Their thoughts became increasingly distracting, and I gave up altogether. I stalked out of the room and decided to get to my next class early and read.

Halfway across campus, loud, obnoxious thoughts stopped me in my tracks. “There he is, there he is!!! The red head! Edward Cullen…” _Mmmmm how could anyone be so delicious?_ These thoughts were so loud and I was already in a bad mood from getting forced away from a piano, so I searched for the person yelling in my mind to give them my most venomous smile to stop the ogling.

I looked for myself in their thoughts. I was never hard to find; if my height didn’t already pull me up over the crowd, my red hair did the trick.

 _Oh my god, he’s looking over here. I hope he recognizes me from class_.

And then I saw her. And I heard music.

The song started with a warm timbre for her the gentle glow of her soft perfection. Light piano notes for her gorgeous porcelain skin, weaving in a lush harmony for the cascading, gleaming locks of dark brown hair. The melody began to crescendo into a rich and sonorous tune for her deep, chocolate eyes, wide and telling. Dreamily delicate high notes tittering, as a soft and seductive pink blush spread across her high, well-defined cheekbones.

What was this creature who inspired such a composition to come out of me? I must know.

“Holy shit, Bella, he’s looking at you.” I heard the girl with the loud thoughts say to my muse.

Bella. How appropriate; a beautiful name for a beautiful song.

I tried to jump over to Bella’s mind to discover something, anything, about her. But there was only silence. Where were her thoughts?

I started walking towards her hoping that her mind was just quieter than her loud friends’ and proximity would unveil her thoughts to me. Still nothing.

 _“What’s up with his face?”_ I saw the bewilderment on my face through the girl’s eyes, “Do you know him from somewhere?” she asked Bella. Bella shook her head no.

“Edward!” Rosalie called. _“I’ve been calling your name, Edward Cullen. Don’t you dare ignore me. Stop staring at these humans like an idiot and give me the damn keys to the Aston Martin. I am not driving that damnable Volvo, and I have back-to-back classes I need to get to NOW.”_

I tore my eyes away from the girl and reached into my back to get Rosalie the keys, her classes ended after mine, and I would need to drive home with our siblings.

“Can we please get through one day where you don’t act like a complete freak? I would like to attend this school for all four years, Edward.”

I turned with Rose to head to my next class, humming the sweet melody to myself over and over…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please review!


	2. The Blacks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You will notice in this chapter in a few others that this fic started out as direct rewrite from Twilight. It ended up going a little more off the rails than originally planned, which is why this is not really labeled as a rewrite 
> 
> These characters and ideas do belong to Stephanie Meyer. Some of this text is taken directly from Twilight Chapter 1.

**B-POV**

The rest of the day continued and I found my thoughts drifting towards Edward Cullen again and again. I had to stop myself each time. He was so far out of my league it was downright hilarious. He was the NFL, complete with adoring fans and a spectacular Super Bowl; I was a bowling league at a retirement center.

Besides, I did not come to college for boys. I came to college to earn a degree so I can get a good job and live out the rest of my life in peace. Edward Cullen did not fit anywhere in that plan, no matter how perfect his jawline was.

Classes were straightforward on the first day, the professors went over their syllabus and class guidelines. The professor in statistics brought in bagels which made me regret going to breakfast with Jessica and Angela because I felt like an asshole for not taking one. There was another girl in class who didn’t take a bagel, but her face was so kind and absurdly beautiful, I couldn’t imagine anyone being able to stomach having a negative thought towards her.

Much to my dismay, the professors of my Anthropology and English 101 classes made us do the whole, “stand up and tell the class a fun fact about yourself” thing. One large guy with cute, curly hair in my English Class’s fun fact was that he was killed by a bear in 1935. His bizarre story got the whole class chuckling, even the professor. I wished I could effortlessly create an atmosphere so light with just a few words. Sadly, there is nothing fun about me. I am uninterested and uninteresting. Now, can we please start? This class cost six hundred dollars.

The entire drive home, I planned my evening: take a long, hot shower, snuggle up with a good book in my largest sweatpants, and not think about Edward Cullen. Not think about his piercing black eyes that scorched my soul. Not think about the intense longing that burned behind them. Not think how I can still see those eyes behind my own.

Simple enough.

I barged through the front door and hung my jacket and backpack on their respective hooks. I preemptively unbuttoned my pants on the second step, readying to fling myself into the shower and forget all about ol’ what-his-name, Edward Cullen.

“Hey Bells!” My father’s voice forced me to stop dead on the step, “Billy and Jacob Black are going to have dinner with us to celebrate your first day of college.”

I groaned internally. Billy Black was Charlie’s on-again, off-again boyfriend for the past fifteen years. I wondered if they were fully on-again, or if they were “testing the emotional waters” like they did every so often. Either way, I’d been forcing idle chit chat all day long and I wasn’t really in the mood for any more. Especially with Jacob and his father.

“When will they be here?” I called back, hoping for at least an hour to recover.

Charlie appeared from the kitchen wheeling Billy in front of him. Jacob sauntered out after them.

Jacob Black had breached the sanctity of my home. The sirens went off in my head. Memories came rushing back. This Jacob looked almost like my childhood best friend: dark, deep-set eyes perpetually glittering with humor, white teeth that gleamed against his silky, russet skin.

But I knew that this Jacob was not my best friend. Not anymore.

Jacob and I had practically grown up together. Every summer and winter break I spent with Charlie, Charlie’s boyfriend and his son were there, too. As soon as we could walk, Jacob and I were inseparable. We played along with rocks of First Beach in La Push, explored the forest behind Charlie’s house. When I had to go back to my mother for the rest of the year, we would read books in tandem, so it felt like we were still exploring new worlds together.

When we reached adolescence larger boys on the Quileute Reservation began to pick on me. They would tease me mercilessly, laugh each time I stumbled, throw my books into the ocean. Each time Jacob would square his shoulders and approach them—scared and awkward—and demand them to leave me alone.

Jacob was my fearless hero, who vowed to always protect me.

My junior year of high school when I moved to Washington to live with Charlie, the proximity to Jacob had been my silver lining. I was excited to have our friendship extend past the summer. However, a few months after I had arrived, everything… changed. I was shocked to see Jacob’s transformation. His small, gangly body stretched and hardened into six feet of pure muscle mass. His long, black hair was chopped off into stylish spikes. I tried to hang out with this new, massive Jacob, but I didn’t seem to hold his interest anymore. Each time we were together, he would ditch me for the rest of the boys on the Reservation—the ones who used to tease me.

After a month of low-key hangouts and uncomfortable silences, Jacob informed me that we could no longer be friends. It was for the best, he had said.

It broke my heart.

In one, short year I had lost the two people I hoped to have forever. But that year had helped me, in a way. It helped me understand a fundamental truth about myself. There was nothing special about me. There was nothing about me that could hold anyone for very long. No one could ever want me, let alone want me forever. I was one thing and one thing alone: replaceable.

“Hey,” Jacob waved curtly. I was pleased to discover that his voice no longer created an ache in my chest.

I was displeased to remember that my jeans were unbuttoned. Jacob’s eyes darted down to my open fly and flew right back to my face.

“Hey, Jake.” There was no hatred in my greeting, another good sign.

“Sorry, to interrupt your evening, Bella,” Billy Black’s deep voice rumbled in apology, “Charlie forgot all about this plan until we showed up out of the blue.” Charlie grinned sheepishly.

“We were going to either order some pizzas or scrape together something we have around here.”

With my college tuition payment being due in two weeks, I knew we didn’t have money for a pizza party, “We have the stuff for grilled cheese and tomato soup.” I suggested.

“Sounds perfect!” Billy smiled up at me.

The men went into the living room to watch something on ESPN while I made my way back down the two stairs I took and into the kitchen. I deftly zipped my pants back up once I was sure they were facing away from me.

I spun around to retrieve the ingredients from the fridge and wound up with my face in Jacob’s chest. The surprise from our sudden closeness threw me off balance and I crashed onto the floor.

Jacob grinned at my fall and reached down to help me up, “You haven’t changed a bit, Isabella.”

There it was. When this new, muscular Jacob appeared he no longer called me by my preferred nickname, which pissed me off to no end. It was a constant reminder that he wanted to keep me as a stranger held at arm’s length.

I forced a tight smile and turned to the fridge. I rummaged around and discovered the only cheese we had was a spicy Mexican blend. I frowned at the bag. Maybe if I added some chili powder to the canned tomato soup, it would look like I did this on purpose…. I set the ingredients on the counter and set off to work.

Jacob loomed in the kitchen doorway. I bit my cheek, hoping to put off the inevitable chit chat I’d been fearing.

He started off strong. “Crazy that we’re both going to University of Washington.”

Yeah, Jacob. The fact that two broke kids went to the closest college to home with the cheapest in-state tuition was “crazy”.

Apparently, Jacob did want to make awkward small talk with me and was not going to give up so easy. “I always thought you would go back to Arizona the second you could.”

“There’s nothing there for me now.” I said, brusquely.

“True.” He agreed. “Nowhere warm and sunny?”

“Nope. Unfortunately, you couldn’t get rid of me that easily. I got hit by that van, remember? I broke my left leg and hip, the hospital bills wiped Charlie and I clean.”

“Oh yeah.” He murmured, uncomfortable from the memory.

He stopped talking for a few, blissful moment while I assembled the grilled cheeses.

“How were your first classes?” He asked.

“Fine.” I responded easily, “Nothing more than going over the syllabus.”

“Yeah, same here."

“What’s your major?” I asked, dumping the contents of three cans of soup into Charlie’s largest pot.

“Environmental and Forestry Sciences.”

“What do you hope to do with all your forest knowledge?” I asked.

“I’m not quite sure yet, something to do with protecting the forests on our land, you know? I don’t think I could ever understand any part of law school, but maybe I can like do some research or like take some samples that could help lawyers do something.” He laughed to himself, “I’m not sure what any of that entails, but I got a whole life to figure it out.”

“That’s amazing, Jacob. I love that for you.” I flipped grilled cheeses.

“Thanks, Isabella. What about you?”

“English.” He snickered,

“That’s fitting. You were always the nerdy type.”

“Thanks,” I muttered.

He laughed, “Don’t worry, it was always a good look on you. You gonna become a high school teacher or try to write a book or something?”

“No, I don’t think I would make a good teacher,” I admitted. The idea of being in high school for the rest of my life sent chills down my spine.

“Well I’m pretty sure you’ll have to be a teacher with an English major. You think someone is going to pay you to read books all day?”

“They could,” I shrugged.

“Did you really not think this through, Isabella?’ he asked.

I was appalled. Who did he think he was, coming into my house and mocking my major? “Hey! I believed in your dream!”

“Mine’s not a dream, it’s a career path.”

“Whatever, Jacob.”

To my surprise, he laughed. “We’re together for five minutes and we’re already back to arguing like an old, married couple.”

I laughed with him, “Just like old times.”

“Just like old times,” he echoed in agreement.

“Maybe I could visit the Res sometime, just like old times?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Isabella.” My stomach plummeted. _Stupid, stupid, stupid_.

“I mean, we can be friends for our dad’s sake. I know Billy has missed Charlie. But, it wouldn’t be a good idea to have you on the Res. It’s for the guys, really. Not me.”

I nodded and flipped the final grilled cheese. “Makes perfect sense. I get it,” I assured him, even though it made zero sense.

“Thanks, Isabella,” he sighed in relief.

“Do you want help carrying all that out?”

“Sure.” I handed him two plates with bowls of soup perched precariously on them. I followed him in a similar suit.

The rest of the night passed with Jacob and I on silent corners of the room with our fathers chatting happily on the sofa, holding hands. Defiantly on-again.

Billy praised the meal as the Blacks finally left for the night. “Good to see a white girl who knows her way around the spice cabinet,” he had laughed on his way out the door. I hoped that it was a compliment.

Jacob and I stood in the small vestibule of the house, leaving our fathers out on the porch to say goodbye in private.

“Can you do me a favor, Isabella?”

“Sure,” I offered.

“If you see me around on campus with the guys, could you please not say anything to me?”

“Of course, Jacob. I wouldn’t want to destroy your precious reputation,” I said, bitingly sarcastic.

He ignored the sourness of my tone, “Thank you, Isabella. It’s for the best.”

His same old motto.

Jacob squared his shoulders and opened the front door, “Alright you two love birds, Billy has a curfew. He knows how worried I get when he’s out too late.” The two old men grumbled and laughed at Jacob’s gentle teasing.

I scurried up the stairs before Charlie entered the house, and bee lined to the bathroom for my hot shower. Better late than never.

The next day, my first class didn’t start until 10:45, so I was able to linger around the house. I snuggled up the best I could on Charlie’s old, lumpy couch with a large mug of coffee to warm my body from the chill of the rain outside. I pulled out one of my favorite Dickenson novels from my small collection of worn-out paperbacks. I was teased by my mother, father and acquaintances for always reading the same books over and over, but I couldn’t bring myself to stop. These books were the literary equivalent of a security blanket: I needed them. My mother moved us around so much during my childhood, these books were the only things that brought any semblance of consistency to my life.

Time moved too quickly once I was engrossed in a novel, and I realized with a start that I was close to running late. I left my hair up in a bun and my sweatpants on, knowing I wasn’t going to impress anyone anyway, and stumbled out the door.

My old Chevy didn’t sense the urgency because it whined and wheezed every time I tried to push it over forty-five. I growled at myself for being a moron as I struggled to find parking in the commuter lot. I paid three hundred dollars for a parking pass to park at a school I already pay to attend, and yet they can’t make sure there are enough spaces for everyone? I finally found an available spot, across campus from the Sciences building where my Biology class was being held. I kept my pace at a brisk walk, knowing if I went any faster, I would probably trip and fall. No need to show up to the first class late and unkempt and muddy from a fall.

“Thank you for joining us.” The professor called out when I finally stumbled into the classroom.

“Well?” she questioned my hesitation at the front of the room, “Are you going to have a seat and let us begin?”

Next to the center aisle, I recognized Edward Cullen by his ginger hair and gorgeous face, sitting next to the single open seat. Just as I passed, he suddenly went rigid in his seat. He stared at me again, meeting my eyes with the strangest expression on his face—it was hostile, furious. I looked away quickly, shocked, going red again. I stumbled over a book in the walkway and had to catch myself on the edge of a table. The girl sitting there giggled.

I had no choice but to sit in the empty seat in the middle of the classroom the professor pointed to. I kept my eyes down as I went to sit by him, bewildered by the antagonistic stare he’d given me. I didn’t look up as I set my book on the table and took my seat, but I saw his posture change from the corner of my eye. He was leaning away from me, sitting on the extreme edge of his chair and averting his face like he smelled something bad.

Inconspicuously, I sniffed my armpit, worried in my haste I forgot deodorant this morning. I smelled like strawberries, my favorite scent. It seemed an innocent enough odor. I pulled my hair out the bun and let it fall over my right shoulder, making a dark curtain between us, and tried to pay attention to the professor.

She began her lecture right after she handed out our syllabus, wasting no time. I couldn’t stop myself from peeking occasionally through the screen of my hair at the strange boy next to me.

During the whole class, he never relaxed his stiff position on the edge of his chair, sitting as far from me as possible. I could see the hand on his left leg was clenched into a fist, tendons standing out under his pale skin. This, too, never relaxed. He had the long sleeves of his green shirt pushed up to his elbows, and his forearm was hard and muscular beneath his light skin.

This Tuesday lecture lasted longer than yesterday’s classes, to make up for the fact that it only occurred two days a week. It seemed to drag on even longer as I waited for his tight fist to loosen. It never did; he continued to sit so still it looked like he wasn’t even breathing.

What was wrong with him? Was this his normal behavior? I was nervous to see Jessica again and inform her that her future husband was a lunatic.

I peeked at him one more time, and regretted it. He was glaring down at me again, his black eyes full of revulsion. As I flinched away from him, shrinking against my chair, the phrase _if looks could kill suddenly ran_ through my mind.

At that moment, class was over. The professor ended her slide, and told us she would see us on Thursday. Edward Cullen was out of his seat immediately. Fluidly he rose, his muscular back towards me, and he was out the door before anyone was out of their seat.

I fought back tears for the duration of my next two classes, and was relieved when I could let them fall the entire drive home.

Is this all college was going to be for me? Suffering through classes and racing home at the end of the day to dwell on each mistake I made that day in silent misery? It didn’t matter, I told myself again and again. I already knew I was nothing. I didn’t need the rejection of Jacob Black or hatred of Edward Cullen to tell me that.


	3. Distractions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *** This chapter does contain a brief sexual encounter. 
> 
> These characters and ideas do belong to Stephanie Meyer

**E-POV**

I ran through the Northern woods as silently and delicately as the snowflakes that fell around me. I arrived at my destination in Denali in record time, thanks to my panic and anxiety pushing me to run faster than ever. I needed a distraction from the blood that still called to me from a thousand miles away.

My distraction heard me approach and was waiting at the front door of the cozy mountain cabin.

She smiled deviously and purred, “What a pleasant surprise.” She was wrapped around me in a second later, kissing my neck and tearing at my shirt so she could get to my shoulder.

Tanya and I had a peculiar relationship. Our clans had run into each other a number of years ago when we all happened to move into a small, cloudy city on the Faroe Islands. We were pleased to discover that we all shared the same vegetarian diet, which created a quick bond. Being the only single man among three perfectly matched couples, the three single sisters that made up their family—Kate, Irina, and Tanya—all vied for my attention.

Once they discovered that I could read their minds, the attraction more or less dissipated, but that was expected. Who would ever want to be in a relationship with a creepy vampire who pried into their every thought, wish and fear? No one.

Tanya was the only one of the sisters who refused to let my mind reading or my feelings—or lack thereof—prevent us from having a relationship, and offered up a proposal: sex with no strings attached. Nowadays, humans have a term for it—friends with benefits—but at the time I had never heard of such a thing. I enjoyed the notion of having sex just for the relief it could bring me, so I agreed.

Over the past seventeen years, I treated her with as much respect as you can treat someone you only wanted for sex. I always made sure she orgasmed multiple times, I would eat her out for hours, and I would thrill her with any position she wanted. Her end of the bargain was to never expect me to feel anything for her.

“Are you sure you’re still okay with this, Tanya?” I asked, placing her on the bed in her room—as I asked every time we were about to have sex. She had torn off all of our clothing on our slow walk to the bedroom between kisses.

She rolled her eyes. “Yes, Edward. I’m not reading into anything. I know our agreement.” She placed her hand on my abdomen and traced a line down past my stomach, across my shaft and circled the end of my penis. I just want you inside of me.

“Alright.” I lifted her hips off of the bed and thrusted myself inside her, not caring about foreplay. Tanya seemed to be as desperate as I was for a visit; her body accepted me immediately and allowed me to plunge deep and fast. We have not had a proper rendezvous in quite some time and I came quickly. Luckily vampires were not like men and we were able to have sex indefinitely.

I flipped her over to her stomach and entered into her from behind so she couldn’t see my expression as I considered the events that led me here. She gasped and moaned in approval. I hoped that would be enough to distract her from noticing my preoccupation.

I expected to have a clearer head post-orgasm, but I couldn’t shake the upheaval the girl’s blood had wreaked on my thoughts. _La mia cantare,_ I had finally found my singer.

For years, I prided myself on being a shining member of the Cullen family—one the others could look to when they felt their bloodlust rising or feared a lapse in control. Better yet—I could read the minds of those around us to keep our identities safe. And one small, human girl with sweet blood and a silent mind stripped all of that away from me.

Why here? Why now? Why Biology? I needed that credit.

I felt Tanya’s walls tighten around me and she orgasmed powerfully. “Okay, okay.” She panted and lazily batted at my hand that was still gripping her buttocks. “I need a sec.”

I had not come a second time, but complied anyway and removed myself from her. I laid down next to her and listened to her breath slow and even.

She smirked at me, “What’s gotten into you? I don’t hear from you for months, and then you show up, and all but destroy me. Give a girl a warning, Edward.”

“Sorry,” I muttered. “I should have called or something, but I—I needed to clear my head.”

_“Mmmm. Always the romantic.”_

I laughed; I doubted I had a romantic bone in my entire body. “You know me. A regular Romeo.”

She scooted closer and placed her hand on my bicep, “What wrong, Edward?”

I wasn’t sure I wanted to share my troubles with the human girl with Tanya. “Well, nothing now.” I touched my littlest finger to her nose, “You fixed everything, just like you always do.”

She smiled to herself, “All in a day’s work.” And she pounced.

We spent a few days holed up in Tanya’s room. Her sisters popped in and out—mainly staying out, whenever I was here alone. They knew I had an agenda when I showed up unexpectedly at their doorstop, and did not like to have any involvement in said agenda. Tanya and I were intimate as often as we could, and enjoying each other’s company when we could not.

Well, not necessarily _enjoying_ on my end; it felt more like _tolerating_ this time around, which was strange. I knew I did not love Tanya, nor would I ever, but in the past we always had a pleasant time in and out of the sheets.

There was something different about this visit. Everything she did made my stone skin crawl.

This afternoon, we were laid in her bed after our delight, and she was talking to me about some Astrological signs, like she had done many times before. “Scorpio’s personality traits are related to water, the second heaviest element,” she emphasized that like it was a big deal, and continued, “it’s a fluid, adaptive, yet tangible form of matter, and that exactly correlates to a water sign’s personality…” she prattled on.

God, did she always have such petty, vogue ideas? She was turned in the Seventies—she was a true Flower Child—and I knew she liked space and Astrology. I enjoyed it before. We would lay out in the snow and point out constellations to each other, sharing the stories we knew about them. But now it felt like every insufferable conversation featured her patiently explaining the cosmos, of which she is in the middle.

I reached for the guitar beside the bed that she kept here for me—she said it turned her on to hear me strum. I hoped that if I started playing, she would get turned on enough to touch herself and finally _shut up_.

I started playing one of my favorite songs, but suddenly lyrics to a new song were revealing themselves to me, and I began to strum a song about a woman who could walk over a man like a goddamn marching band.

“Oh, Edward. I love that you’re musical. Like literally, music is the air I breathe.” She stuck her hand into my hair.

The malapropos made me want to fucking scream. I wondered if she even knew what that word meant. Because it's literally not that. Those were good lyrics. Josh is going to like this song… I could hear it now. It might sound better with plucky piano keys than these guitar strings. My fingers itched for my piano.

My phone rang out from the back pocket of the jeans I hadn’t worn in three days. I dashed across the room to retrieve it.

Alice never initiated phone conversations with a greeting. “I don’t see you coming home for another week, but we need you,” she spoke into the phone.

“What’s wrong?”

“I see an attack in Seattle around two in the morning. A vampire attacking a bar after it closes.”

“Alight, I’m in Denali. Would it change their plans if I meet you in Seattle?” I asked.

I could picture Alice’s expression of checking the future perfectly in my mind, after seeing it thousands of time in my eyes and through others’.

“Nope. We’ll meet you near the Polar Bar.”

“Cute name.”

“Very cute,” She agreed. She hung up abruptly—Alice didn’t end phone conversations either.

Tanya sat up in bed, “Heading out?” she asked.

I nodded, “Thank you for everything, as usual, Tanya.”

She smiled coyly and pushed her strawberry-blonde curls behind her ear, “Anytime.”

I was out the door and in the falling snow seconds later.

Carlisle maintained his high Christian morals even after he turned into a bloodthirsty creature of the night. Meanwhile, I’d given up on God the moment I woke up with thousands of thoughts screaming in my head. We had the debate on killing humans a million times: if it was a perfectly justified murder, surely it was acceptable. I could read minds and pray on only the lowest forms of humanity: pedophiles, rapists, murderers.

Carlisle and Esme allowed me to leave on my own and do just that, but I became heavy with the guilt of taking so much human life and seeing their blood in my eyes. Eventually, I found myself unable to stomach the blood of a human, and wound up dropping their beaten, unconscious bodies on the steps of local police stations.

When Rosalie came along, she felt the same need for justice in the world. She started by dramatically murdering the men who raped her and left her for dead. She wanted to continue to provide good deeds in that nature, but shared the compassion for human lives that made us Cullens.

I proposed an idea to her: we could act justly in the world by taking out the monsters that hunted in the night. We would take out any and every feral vampire that fed off of human blood we encountered. Rosalie agreed to the pact, and we’ve continued ever since. Emmett hopped on that bandwagon when he joined the family. Jasper and Alice made it even easier to find them with Alice’s foresight and kill entire covens of them with Jasper's military prowess.

The saga continued tonight, as Alice saw a vampire killing two humans in downtown Seattle. I met my four siblings on the roof of a building a few blocks away from the bar the vampire stalked, close enough so I could keep tabs on his thoughts, but far enough so he wouldn’t catch our scents until it was too late.

“How’s your girlfriend?” Emmett waggled his eyebrows at me.

“Not my girlfriend, Em.”

“Why don’t you just get over yourself and be with Tanya?” Rosalie asked, her tone holier-than-thou. “Do you really think you’ll find another person who would want to be with you?” She laughed at the concept.

“Well, Rosie, I’m still hanging onto the hope that you’ll honor our engagement.” I smiled at her smugly. Emmett snickered beside me.

Carlisle had initially changed Rosalie in the hope that she would be to me what Esme was to him; he had never been more wrong in his life. Rosalie and I both knew we would find death preferable to any sort of committed romantic relationship with the other.

I watched the men he was planning to attack through his eyes. The poor guys were completely wasted—their speech slurred, their movements clumsy. It would take minimal effort for the vampire to take these two down once they left the bar.

I searched the thoughts of the intended prey to see which of us could offer a suitable distraction to keep them in the bar until we could deal with the vampire. Rose and Jasper usually fulfilled that role as a saucy flirt. Jasper could utilize his abilities as an empath to create an aura of safety and comfort to keep them interested in him, and Rose was… Rose. She was considered beautiful even in vampire standards.

“Crap.” I muttered. “They’re gay and really horny. I’ll go down and be the bait.”

Emmett was immediately offended. He crossed his arms across his chest, “Why you?”

I sighed impatiently, “I can read people’s thoughts, Em. I know I come across as the gayest.” Apparently dressing well and taking pride in one’s appearance was all it took to be a homosexual in this decade. Ridiculous.

Emmett scoffed. “Fuck you. I’d make an excellent boar.”

Rosalie placed a hand on her husband’s forearm, “They’re called bears, babe.”

He gasped softly and a gentle smile spread across this face, “Really?” He turned back to me, his eyes pleading, “Come on, Eddie. You gotta let me be a bear!”

“Okay, whatever. Just get ready.”

Through the eyes of the bartender I watched the two men grab their coats and their almost-attacker slink out of the bar ahead of them to get into position. I nodded to Emmett, and Emmett flashed to the bar and through the kitchen entrance to get to the men in an instant. I watched him saunter up to them and begin to flirt. He was doing great; the men’s thoughts turned lustful almost immediately.

I could hear the vampire’s inpatient thoughts wondering what was keeping his prey. Once he decided to head back into the bar to see what was happening, I leapt across the buildings until I was perched above his hiding spot. He caught my scent and looked up the very same second I jumped down to land on his head.

My siblings followed after me and took apart the body in a business-like fashion. We’ve done this dozens of times and we each had our own to-do list so the process would be completed as soon as possible. Once I had the left side of his upper half torn apart, I looked up to see my siblings were finished as well.

Emmett met us in the alley and brushed his hands together, “Those boys are gonna dream about me for years to come.”

Rosalie eyed her husband appreciatively. “I’m sure they will, babe.”

“Keep it in your pants for a bit longer, guys,” Jasper reminded them, feeling the horniness I could hear in their thoughts.

We carried the dismantled body parts to the top of a nearby peak. Alice led us to a spot that was supposed to get early sun. We threw the parts on the ground and stood around them in a loose circle, watching the spasms of residual movement. A vampire torn into pieces can eventually get itself back together with enough time, but the sun rising in twenty-six minutes will burn the parts to a crisp before they could get very far.

Still, my sibling and I remained to watch the fireworks.

With the main event of the evening completed, my siblings wanted to focus on a different subject: me. They were all thinking of ways the bring up the subject of my recent departure, nervous to upset me and have me “flying off the handle again” (Jasper’s words) or “send me squealing like a bitch” (Rose’s words).

Emmett was about to begin his made-up anecdote about two men and some bees in pre-war Germany, so I finally spoke up to save us all from whatever _that_ was going to be.

“I found… my singer.”

Four minds sympathized for me with varied levels of actual concern.

Emmett patted me on the back with his massive mitt of a hand, “Tough break, kid. How are you going to kill her?”

I was appalled, “I am not going to kill her.” I was also miffed, “How are you so sure it’s a girl anyway?”

He shrugged, “I assumed it was the girl Rose caught you drooling over on the first day of school. The little pale one. We thought you had your first crush; I didn’t realize you were actually making dinner plans.” He giggled and poked me in the stomach.

“I didn’t smell her yet that day; it wasn’t until I had to sit next to her in biology that I smelled her blood.” I was getting a bit too defensive over a harmless Emmett jest, but his words shook me. “I wasn’t drooling over her, either. I just… I just heard a song in my head and was staring at nothing.”

“What did she think of you? Did she notice anything amiss?” Alice asked, bringing the conversation back to where it should be.

“I… don’t know.” I looked down, ashamed of my shortcomings, “I can’t hear her thoughts.”

“Great. Just great, Edward,” Rose seethed, as if I personally chose to keep my singer’s thoughts from me just to piss her off. Which I might have done, admittedly, if such a thing were possible. “She probably thinks you’re a psychopath, and we will never know.”

“No, I played it off pretty cool.”

Four eyebrows raised almost simultaneously. It was rather intimidating.

Jasper was skeptical, “You’re going to ignore the blood that sings to you? Edward, a singer is a rare gift, and you’re going to…”

“Waste it?” I finished for him.

“Ignore it,” he completed instead, as if we both didn’t know how he really wanted to end that sentence.

“Yes, that is exactly what I am going to do. It can’t be that hard.” Rose snorted. Alice was searching, trying to see how well I would do. I remembered the searing pain of the monster inside of me using its fiery claws to tear out of me and kill the innocent girl. It felt intolerable at the time, it took everything inside of me not to reach over and kill her. 

"Okay,” I admitted, “It will be hard, but not impossible.” It was the love I felt for my family, and the fierceness I felt to protect them that kept me in my chair. The only thing I wanted more than the blood of my singer, was the safety and happiness of my family. And exposing myself there in that classroom would surely put them at risk. If my family saved me once, they could easily save me again.

“Looks like you’ll do alright on Tuesday,” Alice chirped.

I accepted that.

The sun peaked over the horizon. Soon, the bodies were sizzling away, looking how my throat felt sitting next to my singer. No matter. I would face this head on and come out on the other side stronger and more confident in my control than ever before.

After all, she was just another average human girl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen. I'm sorry that Edward and Tanya had sex, i know, i know, but hear me out: don't you guys feel a little bad that Smeyer made Edward the oldest living virgin? Don't you guys think its a little tragic? So, in an effort to remove some of the cringe-y Mormon stuff, Edward is going to have sex. Hey, maybe that's why he's in a better mood in this fic. Who knows. 
> 
> So, Edward is a songwriter in my head and he works for three specific artists ... in this chapter he's writing a song for Father John Misty


	4. Cool

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, we have a glimpse into the story when it was just a rewrite. Some of the text in the chapter is taken directly from Twilight Chapter 2.
> 
> These characters and ideas all belong to Stephanie Meyer, I am simply making them more fun.

**B-POV**

College got better after those first two days. Edward Cullen was not in the next biology class after our strange encounter on that first day. Perhaps he had caught an illness. Perhaps he had dropped the class. Perhaps he had dropped out of college all together and sought out therapy to fix whatever caused him to glare murderously at people unprovoked. Whatever happened, it did not matter to me.

That was a bit of a lie. It _should_ not matter to me. If I was being honest with myself, I thought a little too much about Edward Cullen, and spent a little too much time looking for him around campus, silently praying I would run into him.

Jessica was taking Edward’s sudden disappearance worse than I was, which was saying something. She didn’t seem like the kind of her person who internalized their emotions. She mourned her the loss of her true love, and I comforted her to the best of my ability, careful to hide any thoughts and desires I had about Edward myself.

Jacob Black did not show his face again, which was another great thing. I didn’t need his friendship. In fact, Angela and Jessica continued to invite me to hang out with them and their ever-growing group. Each time I met up with them in the dining hall, or at a coffee shop, or at the library, they had a new person to introduce me to. It was mind boggling how quickly friendships formed in college. It was as if everyone was eager to find a group to belong to, and latched on to the first one they could find. I knew in my heart too soon they would see how little I had to offer and I would stop receiving invitations. But, I enjoyed it for the time being, and tried not to dwell on the inevitable.

After a surprisingly busy weekend surrounded by Jess, Angela and a dozen of eager strangers, on Tuesday, I found my biology table was still empty.

I knew I should be relieved to be rid of him and his antagonistic glares, but my heart dropped as I sat alone at the table, as it did the previous Thursday.

The professor was walking around the room, distributing one microscope and one box of slides to each table. Class didn’t start for a few minutes, and the room was silent. I kept my eyes away from the door, doodling idly on the cover of my notebook.

I heard very clearly when the chair next to me moved, but my eyes stayed very carefully focused on the pattern I was drawing.

“Hello,” said a quiet, musical voice. I looked up, stunned that he was speaking to me. He was sitting as far away from me as the desk allowed, but his chair was angled toward me. His hair was dripping wet, disheveled—even so, he looked like an ad for something. For raincoats. For microscopes. For Biology. Whatever it was for, I’d buy it.

“My name is Edward Cullen. I didn’t have a chance to introduce myself last week.” His dazzling face was friendly, open, a slight smile on his flawless lips, but his eyes were careful.

My mind was spinning with confusion. Had I made up the whole thing? He was perfectly polite now. I had to speak; he was waiting.

I tried to say, “I’m Bella Swan”, but changed my mind halfway to say, “Nice to meet you” and ended up saying, “I’m meet you.”

He didn’t laugh, but I could see humor sparkle in his eyes.

“Bella Swan,” my name toppled out of my mouth. I flushed. Thankfully, the professor started class at that moment.

I tried to concentrate as she explained the lab we would be doing today. The slides in the box were out of order. Working as lab partners, we had to separate the slides of onion root tip cells into the phases of mitosis they represented and label them accordingly.

“Get started,” she commanded.

“Ladies’ first, partner?” Edward asked. I looked up to see him smiling a crooked smile so beautiful that I could only stare at him like an idiot.

“Or I could start if you wish.” The smile faded; he was obviously wondering if I was mentally competent.

“No,” I said, flushing. “I’ll go ahead.” I was showing off, just a little. I was always bad at science, so I always threw myself into the material with a bit too much fever than entirely necessary. I had already reviewed and tested myself on this chapter of the textbook in my self-sentenced isolation. I snapped the slide into place and studied in briefly.

My assessment was confident. “Prophase.”

“Do you mind if I look?” he asked as I began to remove the slide. His hand caught mine, to stop me, as he asked. His fingers were ice cold, like he’s been holding them in a snowdrift before class. But that wasn’t why I jerked my hand away so quickly. When he touched me, it stung my hand as if an electric current has passed through us.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered, pulling his hand back immediately. However, he continued to reach for the microscope.

I watched him, still staggered, as he examined the slide for an even shorter time that I had.

“Prophase,” he agreed, writing it neatly in the first space of our worksheet. He swiftly switched out the first slide of the second and then glanced at it cursorily.

“Anaphase,” he murmured, writing it down as he spoke.

I kept my voice indifferent, “May I?” He smirked and pushed the microscope to me.

I looked through the eyepiece eagerly, only to be disappointed. Fuck, he was right.

“Slide three?” I held out my hand without looking at him He handed it to me; it seemed like he was being careful not to touch my skin again.

I took the most fleeting look I could manage, “Interphase.” I passed him the microscope before he could ask for it. He took a swift peek, and then wrote it down. I would have written it down while he looked, but his clear, elegant script intimidated me. I didn’t want to spoil the page with my clumsy scrawl.

We were finished before anyone else was close. Which left me nothing to do but try not to look at him… unsuccessfully. I glanced up and he was staring at me, that same inexplicable look of frustration in his eyes.

Suddenly, I identified the subtle difference in his face. “Did you get contacts?” I blurted out unthinkingly.

He seemed puzzled by my unexpected question, “No.”

“Oh,” I mumbled. “I thought there was something different about your eyes.”

He shrugged,

I looked away. In fact, I was sure there was something different. I vividly remember the flat black color of his eyes the last time he’d glared at him—the color was striking against the background of his auburn hair. Today, his eyes were a completely different color: a strange ocher, darker than butterscotch, but with the same golden tone. I didn’t understand how that could be, unless for some reason he was lying about the contacts.

He looked back over at me speculatively, the spark of humor back in his eyes.

I recognized that look. It was the look I got when I had a piece of lettuce stuck in my teeth or a coffee stain on my shirt right over my boob—he found something amusing about my appearance.

I didn’t look that stupid today, did I? His golden eyes appraised me once more and he turned his head slightly away to smile. He was mocking my outfit. I didn’t understand, I was surprised that the two pieces I pulled this morning actually matched: my red skirt was decorated with small white flowers, and my shirt was red and white gingham, they were both red and white. High school Bella would have been mortified by this realization and excused herself to the bathroom to let a few tears escape in the safety of the stall, but not college Bella. No, college Bella was made of something a bit stronger.

“Have something to say about my outfit?” The flutter in my heart caused by his smile made the words come out sharper then intended, but I didn’t care. It wasn’t fair for him to have an automatic advantage just because his eyes could do… _that._

He shrugged, “It’s charming.”

 _Charming_ , sure. That’s what someone would say about a one-eyed cat or an old, decrepit house.

I turned away so I could no longer be pulled by the magnetic force of his eyes. “I don’t care about clothes all that much.”

“Oh?”

“Cool clothes make a statement I don’t want to say. They tell the world something I prefer to tell them myself.

“It’s like car out in front of the building—the one parked by the fountain. Black, sleek, pretty shape. The car itself screams the message, ‘I’m very cool’, which is not necessarily a bad message to send, but it’s not one that should be so boldly stated. If someone were to walk up to me and say ‘hey, I’m very cool’, they could be right, that could be a true statement, but I wouldn’t believe them. And that is the exact same thing as having cool clothes or a cool car.” I was surprised at the length of my little rant. I didn’t realize I had so much pent up aggression over clothes and cars.

His expression twisted into something I couldn’t understand—he almost looked guilty.

“What’s with the face?”

“Nothing, nothing,” he tried to brush me off.

I wouldn’t have it. “What?”

He sighed and threw me a sheepish grin that stopped my heart entirely, “I believe my sister would have said that I had just been ‘dragged for filth’.”

I laughed, “That’s your car, isn’t it?” Figures.

He buried his hands in his hair and laughed at himself. Damn, even his embarrassment was cute. “Yes. The Aston Martin.”

“Well, it wasn’t to say that I don’t respect people who buy cool things. It’s just the reason why I will never buy cool things.” I clarified. I wasn’t sure why I wanted to make him feel better—if he had a car like that, he could probably buy himself new feelings.

“So, as I get to know you better, am I going to be pleasantly surprised to discover that you’re cool?”

“God no.” I bluntly stated. He smiled widely at that as the professor called the class’s attention to the front of the room.

I tried to focus on the following mitosis lecture, but my heart was soaring. I replayed the memory of his musical laugh again and again in my mind, treasuring the sound.

After that single conversation in Biology, my mind and body craved more. My need for Edward was insatiable. Our conversations in Biology got lengthier—sometimes, we would linger at our table talking until someone kicked us out of the room for the next class. However, it never felt like enough.

It was a few weeks into the school year and I was in a bad mood. It was my birthday today. Charlie’s birthday was only days before from mine, and Billy’s gift to him was a week-long trip to Alaska for ice-fishing, so I would be spending my birthday week alone in an empty house. I didn’t want to burden Jessica or Angela with the date either. They would feel obligated to be nice to me or get me a gift, and I didn’t want to force them into that.

On top of all that, I had failed a pop quiz in my anthropology class, and the professor wanted me to visit him during his office hours so we could figure out what I needed help with.

It was frustrating because I knew exactly why I failed the pop quiz that day. I knew the material; I wasn’t stupid.

While I was taking the quiz, I dropped my coffee all over my desk and the quiz. The professor handed me a new quiz. He told me he would wipe off the desk and asked that I sit at another desk and finish the quiz there.

I followed his intrusions, and scurried to the back of the class to an open desk. It was next to a good-looking boy in my class. He was tall and muscular, but stiff and awkward. His expression always looked sickened. The only reason I ever noticed him at all was because he had the same colored eyes as Edward: hazel. They stood out to me because they looked as hauntingly beautiful against this boy’s dark skin as they did with Edward’s bronze hair.

It was during the quiz where I discovered the other similarity between Edward and this boy: their smell. I couldn’t believe I was so engrossed with Edward that I could pick out his scent, but sitting next to this boy and having the scent of honey and oranges waft over to me, my brain short circuited like it often did when I was beside Edward. I sat in the back row in a stupor, until the professor took the empty quiz off my desk and into the pile he collected.

How was I supposed to express to my anthropology teacher that I failed his quiz because a boy had the same cologne as a different boy? He would say that I needed to be cut open and studied.

My professor’s office was in the music building. I sat across from him in the awkwardly small room. Rather than telling him the embarrassing truth or attempting to lie, I decided to play dumb and listened to him review the material with me again for an hour. I smiled and nodded at the appropriate times, and when his office hours were up and he needed to get to another class, I thanked him.

On my way out, I went through a different hallway past the practice rooms in an effort to kind a quicker route to where my truck was parked. The most incredible piano music wafted through the hall. The notes were so quick and clean, it must have been two people playing the same piano. I glanced into the practice room where the music was coming from. Edward’s perfect form was sitting at the bench. Of course.

He caught of glimpse of me staring at him through the door. He smiled and motioned with his index finger for me to come in the room with him. I hopped inside and quickly shut the door behind me. The music faltered for a brief second as Edward winced as if he was in pain.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

“No bother.” He smiled at me and went back to playing. “Besides, I much prefer your company to theirs.” He nodded his head towards the door.

I peeked through the window into the practice room across from us. Three girls were staring at Edward as unabashedly as I was moment before.

He chuckled to himself, “They had concocted a ruse in order to get themselves in here. Thankfully, your appearance thwarted that plan. Thank you for that.”

“Oh please. You don’t know that. Maybe their ears are bleeding and they’re over there trying to figure out a polite way to ask you to stop.”

He laughed again and shook his head.

“Are your ears bleeding?” He asked.

“No.” I admitted. “Your playing is very beautiful.” As I was talking, I realized how the notes were tugging at my heart, emphasizing my current mood. “It’s also very sad.”

“I think music is the only way I feel comfortable emoting anything but expected happiness.” He admitted.

“You don’t need to be happy for anybody.”

“Oh, but I do.” His voice was quiet, almost like he was talking to himself. I had to really focus to make out all the words. “My family has given me everything, they deserve nothing but joy. If they knew about the loneliness I felt—the sadness—they would want to fix it. And I cannot allow them to be burdened with such a task. So, the sadness stays hidden from them in these notes.”

The music moved me deeper. I couldn’t imagine that this beautiful, seemingly perfect boy could ever feel the sadness I felt, but his music told a different story. It told a story of a boy who hid every part of himself to show the world the safer, happier version it wanted to see.

I understood his song all too well. I took care of my mother in the very same way. I knew my existence was already such a burden to her, so I tried to lighten the load for her sake. I smiled through cleaning our small apartments, cooking her meals, paying our bills. I hid my sadness at the arrangement, with the hope of earning her approval and gaining her friendship.

And what did she give me for all that? A post-it note on the eviction notice on the front door of our apartment telling me she was leaving.

He noticed my pained expression and frowned. “I’m sorry, Bella. I say too much when I’m around you.”

The music stopped. “Here, let me play something happier for you.” The song transformed into something else.

I felt my jaw go slack.

“This was the song I heard on the first day of the semester. Do you remember?” he mused, mostly to himself. “This is what played in my head when I first saw you…” the song was soft and sonorous; gentle and sweet.

He suddenly slammed on the piano and the dainty fluttering of the keys became the theme of the Phantom of the Opera. The change was so loud and so sudden I jumped and almost fell out of my chair.

He was laughing. I joined in. “Sorry,” he said between chuckles, “I just wanted you smiling.”

“But truly” he went back to the original song, that was apparently his own composition. “This song is for you, Bella.”

It was the most wonderful birthday gift I had ever received. Edward would never know how he touched my heart. He would never know that I had fallen in love with him that day.


	5. Sherlock

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Edward so much in this chapter. I write in a bit of myself into Bella. 1. I am also bad with doors 2. my algebra professor once made the class clap for me when I got an answer right.
> 
> These ideas and characters all belong to Stephanie Meyer.

**E - POV**

My siblings and I liked to lay around and create stories for ourselves or each other about our human lives. Simple, trivial things. Alice likes to think as a slave, Jasper would rebel in small, secret ways in his plantation house, like move things over a quarter of an inch while he cleaned. Emmett liked to believe he had the loudest pig call his side of the Mississippi.

I liked to believe that as a silly, stupid teenage boy, I thought of myself as a Sherlock Holmes of sort. In my early vampire days, reading Sir Arthur Conan Doyle brought me a strange sense of comfort and relief, so it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to believe I liked those stories as a human. I could imagine myself trying to guess a person’s entire life story from a scuff on their shoe or the way they held their glasses. The Cullen kids got a kick out of that one, and we decided that it’s where I got my mind reading abilities.

Carlisle theorized that we bring our strongest traits over with us into our next life, and they are intensified. He believes I must have been sensitive to the thoughts of those around me, but I didn’t buy that. My theory was much more fun.

That, of course, got stripped away with my ability. I never get to guess anything about anyone anymore. Their thoughts told me the reasoning behind their every action.

When my parents discovered that I had found my singer, they were surprised and proud that I intended to keep her alive. Carlisle found in admirable that I wanted to test my strength, and hoped that this would allow me to join his side as a doctor one day, which gave me infinite pride. The only person he had ever allowed to join the ER façade with him was Rosalie, because she had never tasted human blood just like him.

Esme suggested that I get to know my singer as a person, to help me think of her as something other than blood I couldn’t drink. The task was simpler than we ever thought possible. Bella’s thoughts were hidden to me, creating an exciting puzzle for me. Every word out of her mouth surprised me, it was fascinating. I tried many times to guess something—anything—about her. To figure out her little secrets on my own. But I was always wrong.

Whenever I complied the facts I knew about her from my observations or the conversations we had in class, instead of fitting together like a perfect puzzle, her personality grew more convoluted.

She was beautiful, first and foremost. There were always beautiful girls, and they seemed to get more and more beautiful as time passed and they could use the booming cosmetics industry to enhance their best features and hide their worst. But even on the days where Bella trudged into class soaking wet from the rain or when she rushed in late in pajamas and tangled hair, Bella’s beauty dazzled me more than a thousand city lights or the expanse of clear, starry night.

She didn’t act beautiful though, which was odd. Beautiful girls knew they were beautiful, and their beauty played an integral part in their personality, whether they meant it to or not. Rather than having the confidence of a Rosalie or the charisma of an Alice, Bella was… different. It was like every decision she made was to keep herself at the periphery.

Then, there was her awkwardness—it was painfully charming. In the beginning, it made me nervous when she would come in with a myriad of cuts and bruises. Whenever I would ask what happened, she would brush it off with a gentle wave of her hand and blame it on her clumsiness. It had terrified me. Was there someone in her life that hurt her? If I had discovered this darling little lamb was tied up with an abusive boyfriend, or—perhaps even more abhorrent—an abusive father, I would have slaughtered the villain without a second thought.

But as time progressed and I watched her stumble about the classroom and break almost every glass object handed to her, I realized that she really was clumsy. With her awkwardness, it would make sense for her to be scared and timid. But that was not the case, she was brave and daring. I was sure I was the only thing in that classroom who could actually smell the fear dripping off of this girl as she performed these little tasks. But, even smelling strongly of fear, Bella would boldly go to the front of the classroom to give a speech, or tell misogynist student their throw-away statement was hateful. It awed and inspired me, and part of me wished I could see how far this bravery took her. I could not tear my attention away from this mysterious, confusing, fascinating girl.

Alice was the only one of my siblings I told about my blossoming friendship with Bella. She and Emmett were always the best at making friends with humans. Those two extroverts were usually beloved by the entire campus by graduation. Rosalie didn’t make friends with anyone, but the connections she did make were strong and meaningful, and she was still pen-pals with most of her college friends. Jasper and I were more or less hopeless. Our family allowed us to blame our gauche on our enhanced senses of those around us. However, I could hear Jasper struggle to separate the person from the blood and not wanting to go any closer, and I knew my own reasoning, but I kept my mouth shut. I let our family believe it was impossibly hard to make friends with humans when you constantly knew their every thought and feeling.

Alice was thrilled that I was willing to make a human friend on my own. She coached me on references and facts human girls Bella’s age would be familiar with. She seemed a little too excitable for someone only casually involved in the matter, and I sometimes wondered at her ulterior motive. But I was too desperate to find out everything I could about this enigma of a human girl to really push Alice for details.

And what an incredible enigma Isabella Swan was. One afternoon in September, I caught her standing outside of a door, almost cowering away from it. I walked up slower than my usual pace to take her in. It was unseasonably warm, and beautiful Bella celebrated that warmth with the ugliest sweater ever created: mustard yellow, thick knit, with puffed below-the-elbow length sleeves and a flounced hem. Alice would be screaming at the top of her lungs at the sight of it, but I couldn’t help but smile in awe—the girl could pull off anything.

“Everything alright?” I smiled at her as I held the door open.

Her heartbeat picked up speed before she crossed the threshold. “I don’t know how to use doors,” she admitted.

The polite smile on my face turned into a mocking grin. “I may be overthinking it, but I’m pretty sure you just open them.”

She ignored my jab. “I don’t know what to do with the door around other people. Glass doors are the worst. Like, if someone is right on the other side and we’re reaching for the handle at the same time, what am I supposed to do? Do I take the door and hold it open for them? Do I step back and let them open the door and go through and wait my turn? Should they be opening the door for me?”

This was the exact overthinking I usually did for simple tasks such as this. However, I was an immortal vampire trying to figure out how a human my age in this era would act. But, Bella was a human. Surely, she wouldn’t have to worry about acting right in front of other humans. She was so odd.

“I think it all has to do with whether you push or pull the door.” I offered.

She _hrump_ -ed. “That’s not very helpful, I get the push/pull thing wrong all the time. Even when the door explicitly tells what to do, I will do the opposite.”

I laughed. “Okay, well, stick with me, and I will handle any doors on your behalf,” and I opened the door for her.

She blushed an attractive shade of pink, and the light fluttering of piano keys played in my head.

As pleasant as this conversation was, I did not seek her out just to marvel at her fear of doors. Alice informed me that if I truly wanted to be Bella’s friend, I needed to spend time with her outside of class, and suggested I take her to lunch on campus. Stumbling upon her was no coincidence, and I knew this was an hour at which humans ate.

“Would you like to grab some lunch with me?” I asked her.

Her mouth dropped open, “What would make you want to have lunch with me?”

“The same reason anyone eats lunch with someone,” I smiled down at her, “to spend time together. You fascinate me.”

She didn’t seem to know how to respond to that, but she turned towards the direction of the dining hall. I took that as a yes. We walked in amicable silence to the dining hall, where I swiped my student ID twice to pay for our entry.

I followed her around as she looked at the various food stations while she considered her options. She backtracked to a sandwich line and ended up with tomato soup and a grilled sandwich with just cheese on, which seemed strange to me. Sliced bread was invented after my time as a human, so I wasn’t well acquainted with sandwiches in general, but didn’t humans need more nutrition than this?

I walked over to the salad station and absentmindedly threw some vegetables onto a plate. I led her to a table near the windows overlooking the lake.

She looked askance at my paltry lunch, “That’s it?”

I nodded, and gave her my family’s most recent excuse. “I’m a vegan. There’s not too much to choose from up here.” I stabbed some lettuce with my fork and examined it for her benefit, “The salads here aren’t very inspired.”

She looked down at her food and immediately apologized. It took me a moment to understand she was sorry for eating something non-vegan in my presence.

“Don’t worry about it.” I replied brusquely, “I’m vegan for primarily health reasons.”

Alice had provided me with a few topics of conversation that she believed Bella would like to talk about: popular TV shows, petty celebrity drama, new fashion trends. But I believed I knew Bella enough to know that she would be as clueless in those areas as I was. Instead, I began with a subject I’ve been hearing in the minds of my many classmates: home. It was late enough in the semester where the novelty of being in college was beginning to wear off, and students were becoming homesick. I wondered if Bella was among that crowd.

“Where did you move from?” I asked her, genuinely curious of this fascinating girl’s origin.

She sighed, “Not very far, just from Forks. You probably never heard of it. It’s small, it’s boring, and it’s rainier than Seattle.”

What a coincidence. “My parents purchased a house in Forks.” No need to tell her that transaction occurred in 1932.

She gasped, “You’re lying!”

I shook my head and chuckled, “Nope.”

“Then why didn’t we go to high school together?” She asked looked mad.

Because I was an immortal twenty-year-old who would look like Steve Buscemi trying to be a high schooler. “My siblings and I were homeschooled.”

She picked up her sandwich and dipped it into the soup—were sandwiches better when they were wet? “Why?”

“My parents moved around a lot. By the time we arrived in Forks, Alice, Emmett and I were sick of integrating into a new school and asked to be home school.” I lied.

She slumped in her seat, “I know how that feels.”

“Did you move around as well?” Bella nodded glumly, “My mother was a bit… erratic, you could say. She couldn’t hold a job very well. We bounced around from city to city, she would waitress wherever she could. But, when the money ran out and she was short on rent, we would leave and head over to the next town and the next small apartment. I never stuck anywhere long enough to make any real friendships. I’m sure any friend managed to make forgot about me right away.”

I felt a twinge of guilt that she was sympathizing with a lie, so I gave her a truth. “I was never too good with friendships. I tend to ostracize myself before anyone could do it to me.”

“Well, it’s nice to know that neither of us will know what to do if there’s ever a lull in conversation,” she said.

I laughed.

I glanced at my watch and frowned, “It doesn’t look like we will be getting to a lull today, my sister’s class is over and she’ll be waiting on me.”

I stood up, and looked down at her when she didn’t follow my lead, “Are you heading to the commuter lot?” I asked, hoping she would walk with me and prolong our time together.

She shook her head, “I gotta get something from the library first. I’ll see you in class tomorrow?”

“Of course, perhaps we can do this again after?” I could hear the hopefulness in my voice.

“I’d like that.” She blushed.

Rosalie was sitting on the hood of the car—arms crossed and pouting miserably. I pushed away all the thoughts of the men around us, daydreaming what they would do to Rosalie on the hood of my beautiful Vanquish and called out an apology, “Sorry, Rose! I hung around a little bit after class, and I took longer than expected.”

She accepted my apology in her head, unable to ever apologize to me out loud, and asked, “And why exactly do we drive together?”

I unlocked the door and she slid in the passenger seat. “Convenience… Family bonding… Saving the world’s finite resources…” I beamed at her scowl. “Take your pick.”

“What were you doing anyway?”

It wasn’t fair for me to keep secrets from my family when they could keep none from me, so I reluctantly told Rose the truth, “I took a girl to lunch.” I said, starting the car.

To my surprise, Rosalie laughed. “No, really.”

We were stuck in a line of cars waiting for the green left turn arrow at the stop light at the exit of the commuter parking lot. Bella’s bright yellow sweater caught my attention. My eyes followed her as she made her way along the parked cars.

Rose caught me staring. “Wait, really?” She looked back and forth between Bella and me. “Was it with her?”

Three cars turned onto the main road. We crept forward, still in line.

I nodded. “Yes. With Isabella Swan.”

"Your singer? Why?” Rosalie asked, incredulous.

I told her the truth again, “I like talking to her.”

We watched Bella heave herself up into the cab of a decrepit Chevy pick-up truck looking anything but graceful.

“Well, I’ll give you this one,” Rose muttered. “She is a weird little thing.”

I resented that. “Talking to her makes me feel more normal than I have in decades. I don’t have to spend half of the conversation actively ignoring her thoughts.”

Another three cars pulled out, we were next in line to escape.

“Have you ever considered the reason you can’t read her thoughts because she simply doesn’t have any?” Rosalie smiled. At that I had to laugh, and Rose was happy with herself for making a good joke.

The next morning, I was sitting outside the Arts and Sciences building with Emmett, catching up before our next classes. He was gushing over the newest additions to Rosalie’s wardrobe after she and Alice went shopping the previous weekend. It was obnoxious, but I knew lately I had been gushing nonstop about Bella, and my patient brother deserved the same treatment.

Finally, I heard Bella’s old truck chugging its way towards the school. She walked with purpose towards the campus with a container in her hands. It was a chilly morning and she was bundled up several layers: a green hoodie with a different school logo, a tartan belted coat with a large lapel, and her standard black raincoat. On her head was someone’s first attempt at knitting: a gray beanie made of thick yarn cobbled together in uneven stitches.

One student saw her hesitate and begin to turn around. Whatever she was about to do intimidated her. I considered going to find her, to help get her through this mystery task which daunted her. Then, another student watched her mutter something to herself, and turn back around with new determination.

I was shocked that she was approaching Emmett and me. What would she have to be nervous about around me? She was usually so fearless. What was she thinking?

“Good morning, Edward,” she murmured. She looked down and tucked a lock of her thick mahogany hair into her hat with her free hand.

“Hey, Bella,” I smiled warmly.

 _Aw she’s nervous._ Emmett thought at me. _Do you think she has a crush on me?_

She didn’t look up as she spoke. “I, um, baked some cookies last night, and made a bit too many, so –uh. I was wondering if you would like some.” She held out the plastic container without meeting my gaze.

Oh god, she was giving me food? This was never in the scenes Alice and I rehearsed.

She misread my apprehension, “They’re vegan.” She whispered.

I was touched. It was one of the most thoughtful gifts I had ever received. Unfortunately, her thoughtfulness was built from my lies.

“I would love some.” I took the container from her, avoiding her fingers out of habit.

She was waiting for something. Her brow furrowed and she cocked her head to the side. “Aren’t you going to try one?” she queried, innocently.

 _Thank you Bella!_ Emmett laughed in his head.

I balked. I didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but I also did not want to choke up a cookie later today.

The confusion in her beautiful, chocolate eyes turned slowly into hurt. My chest ached and I was suddenly desperate to do anything to remove the pain from her face.

I switched to a nonchalant voice, “Right, yeah.” I plucked one of the cookies from the bin and took a bite. I chewed the sickly-sweet mush around in my mouth for a bit and forced myself to swallow. Disgusting.

_Oh, I am so watching you spit that up later. It’s my favorite thing; you look like a cat with a hairball._

I smiled at her, “They’re wonderful, thank you, Bella.” Her eyes widened and she smiled shyly back.

I turned the container over to Emmett and grinned mischievously. “Cookie, Emmett?”

“Nah thanks, man,” he patted his stomach and smirked back, “I’m off sugar this week.”

Damn. What a good excuse… why didn’t I think of that?

I got up, “Ready for bio?”

She groaned, all her awkwardness gone after I had accepted her gift. “Am I ever? I swear, if Professor Werking makes the whole class clap if I get an answer right again, I might actually die.”


	6. Minor Obsession

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to honest here, my heart wasn't in to chapter 6 for some unexplained reason. There are several things that had to happen so I couldn't just gloss over it... but let me tell you... chapter 7? I loved writing chapter 7. So maybe just breeze through this one so you can get to the real fun. 
> 
> Again, we have some bits lingerings from that pesky rewrite. Some of this text was taken from Twilight Chapter 8. This only happens two more times. 
> 
> These characters and ideas all belong to Stephanie Meyer.

**B-POV**

Everyone in my life should be grateful I refused to talk about my feelings. Because if I were to allow a single feeling that I buried deep inside to escape, everyone would be suffocated by my obsession with Edward Cullen.

I loved his casual confidence during class as he lounged back in his chair with his long legs in the aisle, ankle placed on knee, never taking a single note. I loved how half of his mouth would pull up into a crooked smile whenever I did something dumb or said something weird. I loved how graceful his stride was as I tried to keep up without stumbling. I loved how he could make me feel like I was the only person in his world. Around him I felt at ease and completely safe. I never felt more comfortable to be who I was than when I was with him. I loved that he was perfect. Utterly, insanely perfect.

In middle school, I remember one of the popular girls trying to downplay her feelings for one of the pretty boys in class. With her nose held high, she insisted that “pretty people are dreadfully boring, they soar through life on their looks and never had the chance to develop a personality.” Edward had crushed that theory to pieces with his massive arms. Along with his angel’s face and perfectly sculpted body, he had a dazzling personality: intelligent, witty, hilarious.

Probably one of the most attractive things about him, was that he was _weird._ He never ate; he claimed that the food in the dining hall was “uninspired” and he couldn’t stomach another bite of dry iceberg lettuce. He would come up with the most unusual phrases when he spoke, some of which I had only read in books or heard in old movies. He once referred to himself as a “cad”, a “putz” and a “dickwad” in the same long string of apologies after he accidentally insulted me one day at lunch. He wore a gaudy ring with a bizarre gem at all times and contact lenses to make his eyes shift between gold and black and lied about them.

My favorite little quirk was his singing. He often sang under his breath in Bio or on our walks to lunch. If something I said or something he saw reminded him of a song, he would sing it. Not just the verse with the phrase or word, but the entire thing, for anyone to hear. Some of them I could recognize as classics from the Fifties or Sixties, some were more current hits, but most were songs I had never heard of before. Most of the time, it was innocent enough—he sang to himself quietly as we walked. But, much to my embarrassment, he would sometimes put on more of a show by singing loudly and dramatically strut after me with his arms stretched out wide.

Once, after a rousing performance of a song I never heard, he chuckled to himself and asked, “What do you think, Bella? Am I more of a Matt or a Nina?”

I stared at him blankly.

“Really, Bella? Feeling Good? Nina Simone in the Sixties? Muse just did an amazing cover on their last album?”

I admitted that I didn’t have any idea what to listen to other than what Today’s Top Hits radio station played.

He feigned horror. “You don’t have a favorite song? Favorite band? Favorite genre? Nothing?” I shook my head. “That’s unnatural Bella; are you a real person?”

I shrugged, “I know all of the words to Don’t Stop Believing. I guess that could be my favorite song.”

“Oh, Bella, no!” he laughed. “Anything but Journey! Ugh, I’m going to have to fix this myself, aren’t I?” After that he brought me a mixed CD to every class. Some classes he brought me two. He had an extremely eccentric taste: big band dance music from the Forties, timeless soul ballads from the Sixties, distorted electric grunge from the Nineties. I couldn’t tell if I actually loved the music he gave me, or if I loved the small glimpse I got into his soul with each CD.

There were more eccentricities, ones that were not easily explained away by a silly personality.

One day in class, I watched him walk up to the professor’s desk to grab our lab assignment and I noticed him side step one moment before a distracted student abruptly turned at took a step in this direction. If it were me in his place, I would have crashed into the poor girl and had us both tumbling onto the floor.

I mulled over this throughout class—the distraction made me clumsier than usual. After breaking a second beaker, Edward suggested that he take the lead while I take notes. I happily complied, and allowed myself to sit and reflect on Edward’s unexplainable oddities. How he seemed to know what others around him were thinking. How he would always give the professor the right answer in class, even when we were not paying attention—like he could pluck the correct response straight from her mind. And of course—like I witnessed just this morning—how he could react to things seconds before they happened. He was the polar opposite of clumsy; he handled everything in life with flawless, effortless grace. It was clear he had an insight into the world around him that others lacked.

“Can I say something kind of embarrassing?” I asked him. Because of his quick work, we were the first ones to finish the lab, but the professor wouldn’t let us leave because she wanted to review our findings as a class. Edward had been tapping an unfamiliar, complicated rhythm with his pencil on the desk while he waited.

He chuckled, “Nothing has ever stopped you before.”

“Ha, ha.”

“What is it, Bella?” his voice was alluring. It took me a moment to snap back into reality.

“Let’s say, hypothetically, that someone could read minds…” I started. The tapping stopped. I peeked over to see his knuckles tighten against the pencil. I swallowed loudly and forced myself to continue, “How… do you think it would work? Like, could they read anyone’s mind, from anywhere?”

 _Can you read my mind right now?_ I yelled at him in my head.

He stayed still and didn’t respond.

“Well, maybe with a few exceptions?”

After a long moment, he finally spoke. “Just one exception.” He looked up at me with suspicion, his golden eyes smoldered. “Hypothetically, of course.”

I smiled widely, pleased that I had gotten this right, “Of course.”

“Well, this person,” Edward started.

“Let’s call him Joe.” I suggested.

Edward smiled, “Fine, Joe, then. Joe would have to be pretty close to someone to read their mind. Probably within a mile radius.”

“Okay, well, would Joe pick someone’s head to like hone in on to read their thoughts?”

“No, it would be like standing in a crowded room filled with people talking. Joe would have to really focus on someone’s voice if he wanted to hear their thoughts. It gets pretty annoying though. It’s harder to seem _normal_ when you answer someone’s thoughts instead of their words.” He sighed.

“You know we’re speaking in hypotheticals, here,” I reminded him.

He laughed, “Oh, right, we were. In that case Joe’s mind reading would work perfectly every time, and he could turn it off whenever he wanted to get some peace and quiet. He would never accidentally bring up someone’s secret he had no way of knowing and he definitely would not know every time his parents were having sex.”

I giggled.

Edward’s humor faded and his features turned thoughtful. “How did you know?” he whispered, intensity burning in his eyes.

I knew because I was so hopelessly obsessed with him. And because I had no intention of letting Edward know how besotted with him I was, I would not tell him how I knew.

I bit my lower lip and shrugged, “Know what?”

He lifted the corner of his mouth into a lopsided smile. “Come on, really.”

I just shook my head. My thoughts might be stupid, but thankfully they remained my own.

Edward sighed. “Fine, have it your way.”

In the first week of November, I found myself walking across campus towards the commuter parking lot. It was late, I had been in the library with Jessica and Angela cranking out a few papers.

“Isabella!” I ignored Jacob calling my name and continued to trudge down the street. Unfortunately, Jacob was a giant and his long legs caught up to me quickly. I pulled out one of my earbuds as Jacob matched his stride to mine—I had been listening to Edward’s latest CD: Seventies acoustic.

“I’ve been seeing you hang out around campus more,” he commented.

“What’s wrong? Am I starting to cramp your style here, too?”

“No one even says that anymore, Isabella.”

“Point taken.”

He chuckled, “That’s not what I came over here to ask you.” I was already in a sour mood and Jacob’s presence was piling on unnecessary irritation. Edward had informed me at lunch that he and his family were going away for a long weekend, so I wouldn’t see him Thursday _or_ Friday.

“I’ve noticed you’ve been spending time on campus with one specific person,” Jacob continued.

I stopped in my tracks. Why would Jacob care enough to notice I was spending time with Edward? He couldn’t be jealous, could he? No. Jacob barely wanted to be my friend.

“What about it?” I asked as I started walking again.

Jacob gauged my reaction with a frown, “I don’t think you should be hanging out with that guy.”

“Oh? So, I can’t be your friend, and I can’t be Edward’s friend. Is everyone on campus off limits? Is there anyone in the entire world you would deem unworthy enough to socialize with me?”

“It’s him, Bella. He’s—he’s not good for you.” The use of my nickname took me by surprise. It transported me back to a time when Jake always sought to protect me. But that was then and this was now. And now, he didn’t care about me.

“You don’t know anything about him!” I hissed.

“What’s to know? He’s a rich, pretty boy.”

“He’s more than that!”

“Oh, my bad. He’s white, too.”

“If you have a point, you better make it before I decide to punch you in the throat,” I threatened.

Jacob cleared his throat and closed his eyes. Something about his face looked wrong: he suddenly looked too old to be Freshman in college. It was if he was burdened with knowledge too great for one person to bare. I wished he would let me in. I wished he would let me be his best friend.

The next words out of his mouth made me regret my wishes: “Please trust me just this once. He is not what he says he is, Bella. I don’t know what he’s been telling you to keep you close, but he’s lying. He does not care for you.”

“You don’t know anything about him,” I repeated hurriedly. I returned my headphones to my ears and blasted Stevie Nicks so I couldn’t hear anything else out of Jacob’s mouth as I fled.

When I finally arrived back to the safety of my truck, I came across the most blessed image: Edward standing across the nearly empty parking lot. He smiled at me, and my heart summersaulted in my chest. I smiled back and turned to walk over to him. My excitement tore my attention away from my feet, and stepped on my shoelace and fell into the street. I heard the rumble of a vehicle speeding towards me, but before I could even turn my head to check where it was coming from, I was suddenly sitting upright, cradled against a cold, muscular chest. A second later, an SUV sped by. I stared in horror at the spot where my head was just a moment ago, where it would have been crushed by a large tire.

“Bella?” Edward’s velvet voice was strained. “Bella, are you alright?”

I broke my attention away from the asphalt and looked back to where I had just seen Edward standing. How could he be holding me here?

I pulled off my headphones. “You were over there.” I muttered.

“What?” He helped me up so I was standing next to my truck. Once I was stable and, he took a large step away from me. His eyes were black as pitch and filled with concern. “You were over there.” I repeated. He pulled his perfect eyebrows together in confusion, “I was next to you, Bella. I had been trying to get your attention, and I when finally caught up to you when you fell.” His eyes were wide and utterly sincere. I almost wavered, almost believed his story, but held onto my resolve. “No. I saw you across the parking lot.” I argued.

He was tactfully aloof. “I think you mistook someone else for me.”

I snorted. “There is no mistaking anyone for _you._ ” I crossed my arms across my chest and tried to look as stern as possible, “How did you get over here?”

“I was already over here, Bella.”

I was not going to buy it. “How did you get here so quickly, Edward.”

I was sure he was going to stick to his lie, but he surprised me by delicately touching the back of his knuckle against my cheek. My skin prickled at the contact. “Please, Bella.” His black eyes burned into mine, and my anger faded. I had the sudden urge to protect this beautiful, perfect boy and his secrets. I nodded, locked in a trance-like state. The stupor held on as he helped me into the truck and for the entire drive home.

I either experienced a miracle, a glitch in the Matrix, or I was more obsessed with Edward than I thought and was beginning to hallucinate.

It was my father’s voice that finally pulled me back into reality. “Hey Bella!” He called from the next room. I walked in to see Charlie and Billy holding hands on the couch.

“Hey Dad, hey Billy.”

“Did you happen to see Jacob today, Bella?” Billy asked.

“No, I didn’t see him.” I lied.

“Well, I know he has something very important to tell you.” He said. Was Billy in on this too?

“Maybe you should call him, Bells.” My dad suggested.

“Jake has a phone, too. He knows how to reach me.” I left the couple alone in the living room and scampered up the stairs to hide out in my room.

Once in pajamas and tucked into bed, it finally clicked in my head that Billy and Jake might know what Edward was. Part of me wanted to switch on my computer and search through the Quileute legends to see what could match Edward. But a larger part of me trusted Edward explicitly, and wanted him to trust me too. I promised to let this go, and I would. I would do anything for Edward, which might be stupid.

With the rain pouring down beyond my window, I couldn’t bring myself to feel afraid or to heed Jake’s warnings. In fact, I felt the opposite: I would give anything to be with Edward right now. I fell asleep remembering the comfort I felt when I was encircled in his arms and pressed into his chest.


	7. Oh My God

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing Cullen family shenanigans > writing romance
> 
> These characters and ideas all belong to Stephanie Meyer

**E-POV**

When the entire Cullen clan was together, every so often Carlisle and Esme liked to take us out on longer weekend hunting trips where hunting wasn’t the main activity. “Family vacations” they teased. One weekend in November, we took our boat and several jet skis up to a large Canadian lake. The water will be far too chilly for any human to venture out on, so it was the perfect time for weather-resistant vampires to have a little fun in the sun. We took our Cadillac SUV, towing a trailer with our jet skis and other equipment. Carlisle drove with Esme in the front seat. Emmett and Jasper in the next row, Rosalie and me in the back with Alice between us in the hump. My siblings and I all hated being piled into a tight car, but according to Carlisle, our hatred made it all the more “realistic”.

This was going to be a difficult trip because of my recent actions. I had to decide how to tell my family that I had ran across the school parking lot to save Bella. I wasn’t worried about Bella figuring out our secret or telling others. Bella had already guessed I could read minds, and hadn’t spoken a word about it to anyone. Who know what she would come up with to explain my speed? I could simply give her vague positive responses to whatever theory she formulated to explain my newest oddity. The real issue was going to be how my family would react to the ordeal. Because Rosalie wasn’t ready to tear my head off the moment I showed my face, I figured Alice hadn’t seen my little stunt or wouldn’t say anything without talking to me first. Alice spent the entire car ride thinking in Japanese—the language I promised to never learn so my family could have some private thoughts—so I couldn’t be sure.

However, that small hope crumbled when right after we crossed the Canadian border when Alice blurted out, “Edward saved Isabella Swan from getting hit by a car today.”

“What?” five voices boomed at once.

“You have to be kidding me! You saved your _singer?_ Edward, you have to leave this girl alone, you’re getting too messy with her. You’re becoming irresponsible.” Rosalie chided.

“Edward isn’t going to be able to just leave her alone, Rose.” Alice said, crossing her arms and sitting back in her seat, like she just dropped some groundbreaking news on us all.

“Oh? And why might that be?” Rose asked.

“Because he loves her!” Alice sang.

“What?” six voices called out this time; mine included.

“I don’t love her,” I said, almost reflexively.

“Edward fell in love?” Esme gasped to herself. “With the girl from his Biology class? His singer?”

“Is that the girl who got attacked by that goose?” Jasper asked.

“No, it’s the girl all the Kappa Alpha Psi guys have a bet on to see who can get her to take off her clothes after they saw her fall into that fountain,” Emmett said. “Nice one, Eddie!”

“It’s the same girl,” Alice informed them.

“What?” I asked Emmett through my teeth. If I heard any of those boys thinking anything disrespectful towards Bella, I would rip their arms off.

“How do you even know that, Emmett?” Rose asked.

“Gotta know your bro’s hoes, honey!” Emmett laughed. “I’ll make sure they end that bet, now that she’s Eddie’s hoe.”

“Don’t call her that.” I snapped.

Emmett ignored me and cracked his knuckles, “I’ll make sure everyone steers clear of the girl you love, Eddie.”

“I don’t love her!” I repeated, exasperated.

“Okay, Edward.” Alice rolled her eyes. “You only spend every moment you can with her! You only remember every little thing she says...”

“I remember everything anyone says, Alice. We all do.” I said.

“Yeah, but you _enjoy_ remembering what she says.”

I put my head in my hands, “Oh my god.”

“Doesn’t anyone else think we’re going to have to do something about this?” Rose stated.

“What?” I growled at her.

“The girl I saw fall down the stairs dressed as a strawberry?” Jasper asked.

“Why would she dress up as a berry?” Esme asked. “That seems a bit odd, Edward.”

“It was Halloween!” I blurted out. “Rose, we are not killing Bella. And no, Alice, it is not because I love her!”

“Every human life is precious, Rosie.” Carlisle agreed. “We can’t harm this girl just because Edward loves her.”

“We would take care of her because she witnessed something supernatural, Dad, not because Edward loves her,” Rose said impatiently.

“Oh, right.” Carlisle drew his eyebrows together. “What happened exactly?”

I explained myself quickly so none of my siblings had time to interrupt. “She tripped and fell in front of car rushing onto the street, and I ran to pull her out of the way. All she knows is that I was suddenly beside her, which can easily be explained away, if necessary, but won’t be necessary because she won’t tell anyone!”

“The girl I saw get hit by three Frisbees at once?” Jasper asked.

“Oh my god, yes, Jasper! Whatever weird thing you saw a happen to a human on campus, it was Bella!” I exclaimed.

“Hm.” Jasper considered, “She’s cute.”

“Oh my god.”

“That doesn’t sound too bad. Alice, do you see this girl figuring anything out?” Carlisle asked his daughter.

“I can’t see anything concrete until Edward decides what to do.” Alice admitted. “But the vision of me graduating from University of Washington is still crystal clear, so I don’t think we’ll be leaving.”

Rosalie crossed her arms and huffed, but didn’t argue her point further.

“What does Edward need to decide, Darlin’?” Jasper asked.

“Whether or not he’s going to peruse a relationship with Bella.”

Esme put her hand on her husband’s shoulder, “Honey, we can’t leave this girl. Not if she’s Edward’s mate.”

“I don’t love her!”

Alice’s thoughts were still in Japanese, but I could still tell the tone was smug. “Well, Edward, it’s a good thing we have a sure way to know what you feel.” She synced up her phone to the car’s Bluetooth, and scrolled down the long list of songs I’ve given her over the years until she found the one she was looking for. I groaned at her song choice before she could hit play. She knew that only The King could stir emotions in me when no one else could. She was such a cheater.

Elvis began to serenade the car, _“Wise men say, only fools rush in, but I can’t help falling in love with you.”_

“Now, Edward, what did you and Bella talk about at lunch today?” she asked.

I didn’t know what she was trying to do, but I complied anyway, if only to prove her wrong, “Bella and I discussed the Biology test and how she hates hiking.”

“Did she make you laugh or smile at all during the conversation?”

“Of course, she always does. She’s the only person who can surprise me.”

“Did you make her smile?” She asked.

“Yes?” I didn’t understand the point of this question.

“How did she look when she smiled, Edward? Think about it. Think about Bella.”

I _was_ thinking about Bella. She was just a human girl. A weird, accident-prone, endlessly fascinating, startlingly beautiful human girl. With warm eyes and perfect lips.

 _“Ha!"_ Alice thought. _"I finally got you!”_

I gasped aloud at the vision she played for me in her head. It was Bella and me—her arms were tight around my neck, I had one arm clutching her waist close to my body, dangling her feet above the ground, and my other hand was cradling her face. The two of us were engaged in a passionate kiss.

_“You love her, Edward. One day, she’s going to be your entire world.”_

Oh no. There was no way. Absolutely no way. I had to hold my breath around Bella just to not _eat_ her for crying out loud! Stay as far away from her as I could when we ate lunch or walked around campus. And now Alice is trying to convince me that I will put my _mouth_ on her? The monster inside of me grew insatiable at the sight of her throat so close to my teeth. This was not the love Bella deserved. What Bella deserved was someone as kind and warm as she is—not a cold creature of the night fighting against his murderous instincts every time she lingered too close.

And yet… Alice’s vision was enticing to me, but in ways that didn’t make sense to me. Not the bloodlust, the bloodlust I understood. But hunger for her blood was not the hunger that was chilling my already frozen body. The thought of her warm, fragile human body curled up enticingly against me made desire slide like venom through my bloodless veins, and I wanted it desperately. I wanted her in ways I knew I could have her in, not now and maybe not ever.

Oh no.

“Jasper! What is Edward feeling right now!” Alice called out.

For a moment, Bella’s song became coarse and discordant in my head. The dissonant notes were sporadic, crescendoing, and picking up speed. And then, this chaotic masterpiece came abrupt halt, and one light note held—pure and beautiful. Jasper didn’t have to say anything; I could read what I was feeling through the music. I felt panic, desperation, and—standing out stronger than the rest—love.

“He’s in love,” Jasper confirmed, incredulous.

The car stopped and I escaped quickly to outrun the thoughts of my family.

Emmett found me six hours and three mountain lions later, high up in branches of a large white oak. He climbed up the tree next to mine like a gorilla, using his mainly his arms to pull himself up. He held himself up in the branches right over my face, forcing me to look up at him: Tarzan and Jane.

“Esme send you?” I asked.

_“She’s worried about you, dude.”_

“There was… a lot to digest.”

_“Just don’t freak out about it, man.”_

“Don’t freak out?” I exclaimed, suddenly angry. “I am already freaking out, Emmett! I’ve fallen for a human—a human being. Have you thought about how many things can happen to them?

“Not only that, but she is probably the world’s unluckiest, danger-prone klutz. And according to Alice, this girl will become my entire world, my entire life. Can you believe that? Apparently, there will be no point in life at all without an exasperatingly frail girl with no regard for her own personal safety. So, please tell me: what am I supposed to do besides freak out?”

Emmett simply laughed at my meltdown. _“Dude you got it bad for this chick. Don’t you think you’re being a little dramatic?”_

“God, I wish I was being dramatic about it. You should see the accidents she gets herself into, she’s like a Looney Toons character”

Emmett recalled a memory from their English class: Bella tripping over her rain boot and reaching for the professor’s arm in an effort to catch herself, but bringing them both down instead. _"Like this?"_ He snickered.

I winced, and laughed with him. “Yes, just like that. Constantly.”

_“Maybe you should have started out with something easier, like a puppy. Work your way up to a human.”_

When I didn’t respond to his joke, he moved right along to another. _“You know, she poops. The thing you love poops.”_

I rolled my eyes; Emmett could be such a child. _“The puppy would poop too, you know.”_

“Hey, you didn’t lash out that you don’t love her—that’s progress.”

I closed my eyes, “I’m terrified, Emmett.” I barely whispered.

“Don’t be. You’re going to love being in love,” he spoke aloud.

“You think so?”

“I know so. It’s—it’s incredible having someone as the center of your world. Someone you can always trust, someone you can always go to.” _"And the boobs…"_ I opened my eyes to see his wistful expression.

I spoke one of my two greatest fears: “But what if something happens to her?”

“Well, maybe it’s a good thing you’re in love with her. You’ll be better at keeping her safe than some other slow, stupid human.” He shrugged.

“Right. A vampire guardian. Perfect.”

“Well, you did say she was unlucky,” he pointed out.

I sighed and spoke my next greatest fear, “What if she doesn’t love me back?”

Emmett was uncharacteristically somber for just a moment, “Well, man. Then you would have to let her go.” The goofy grin reappeared immediately, “But you’re not going to have to worry about that. You’re a doll!” He hooked his elbow around a branch above him—truly swinging like an ape—to count on his fingers. “You write music—chick’s dig that. You got a whole mysterious thing she’s gonna love. You’re fun when you can get out of your own damn head. And you’re hot! How many times have I told you, if we weren’t brothers, you’d be on my to-do list?” He waggled his eyebrows at me.

I laughed. “Too many times.”

He laughed with me, “Way too many!” Emmett was entirely pleased with himself that he got me smiling again, and his pride in that made me love this gorilla I call my brother even more.

“Thank you, Emmett.”

“Any time, man.” I jumped down from my spot in the trees to seek out my aggravating sister. If anyone had a plan in place for me to win Bella’s heart, it was Alice.

I heard Emmett’s voice boom after me as I ran off, “Ow! Let’s go fall in love!”

***

The following Monday, I was waiting for Bella outside of her first class. I was too impatient to wait until lunch to begin properly wooing her, so Alice, Emmett and I had concocted a plan over the weekend to place me in her usual path. I knew it was probably wrong to begin a relationship with lying and scheming, but I was planning on telling her all about it once we were properly in love. Hopefully she will find it cute and charming rather than pathetic.

“Hello, Edward.” The sound of my name on her lips shot a jolt through my body.

“Hey.” I smiled back at her.

“What are you doing here?” she asked. I loved how inquisitive she was.

“I’m waiting for my sister-in-law. I didn’t realize you were in Theoretical Mathematics.”

She frowned, “I’m not, that was just statistics.”

“Crap. That might be her Tuesday/Thursday class. Oh well. Thanks, Bella.” I walked towards the Anthropology building, where Bella’s next class was.

“Wait! Where are you heading?” she called after me. I allowed myself to smile before turning back towards her, thrilled that she wanted to stay by my side.

“Denny Hall.”

“That’s where my next class is.” I know.

“Mind if I walk with you?”

“Not at all.”

Perfect. Now that I was walking with Bella, I could initiate Phase One. Alice told me that a simple way to show Bella that I wanted a romantic relationship was to hold her hand. According to Alice, it was an innocent enough gesture that would be easy for Bella to refute, but if successful, said the correct message: I want you. I purchased a pair of gloves specifically for the hand-holding so my chilly hand wouldn’t frighten her. We would get in to all of that later, but first, I needed to see if she even wanted to be romantically involved with me. I looked at her hands as we walked in tandem, trying to figure out a way to grab one without coming off as too forceful. The hand closest to me was clutching an umbrella. I frowned. She wasn’t going to make this easy, was she? I casually stepped to her other side, and much to my dismay, her other hand was carrying her books. I looked on her back, and her backpack wasn’t there.

“What happened to you backpack?” I asked. And why is its absence ruining my life?

Her expression morphed into chagrin. “I spilled milk in it this morning,” she admitted. Well, that wasn’t entirely out of character.

“Can I carry something for you, Bella?” There. Now I could be seen as a gentleman before taking her hand.

“No, it’s quite alright.” Dammit. I should have known better; Bella was too strong and brave to want to come off as weak and helpless. At this point, _I_ was the one feeling weak and helpless. I _just_ wanted to hold her god damn hand.

Phase One was clearly a bust, but I hoped Phase Two would come through for me. We went our separate ways after arriving to the building, but that wouldn’t last long. I counted the pace of her steps, and turned around to run into her again. We met at the front door of the building once more.

“My class got canceled.” She told me, as I knew it would be since Emmett bribed her professor.

“Ouch. That sucks. Rosalie isn’t here either.”

This little detour was not part of the main plan; I was merely pushing us towards Phase Two, which was buying her breakfast and telling her I thought she was beautiful. “Would you like to grab some breakfast with me?”

She sighed, “Yes, I would.”

“But…” she continued. No. There wasn’t supposed to be a “but”. “With this class canceled, I think I’m just going to go home.” What? No!

“See you tomorrow, Edward.” She waved and started walking towards the door.

I couldn’t let this happen. I racked my brain for anything that could savage the plan. I could not allow her to leave without a clear answer on whether or not she liked me! For the first time, I was _infuriated_ that I could not simply read her mind!

“What are you doing on Saturday?” I blurted out. Apparently, we were skipping straight to Phase Seven.

“What?” she turned back towards me.

“This Saturday. Would you like to go into town?”

“Who all is going?” She asked. Not a good sign. She didn’t want to be there alone with me… It was beyond annoying that I had to rely on subtext and body language instead of just reading her mind.

“Just you and me, but you can invite anyone you’d like.” Should I have made it clear that I just wanted to it be her and me?

“Oh, um okay.” She did not like that answer. Perhaps she did want to be alone? “But sounds fun, let me know when and where,” and with that she turned and walked straight into the glass door.

I caught her before she could fall.

She looked into my eyes, “How—how do you do that?” she whispered.

I didn’t know what to say.

“It’s okay,” she sighed. “I know you won’t tell me.”

“I’m sorry, Bella.” I whispered back. And I was.

“I’ll figure out what sort of superhero you are eventually.” She teased, still in my arms.

“I wish you wouldn’t try.” I said quietly. We were really off-book now. Alice was going to be pissed.

“Because...?”

“What if I’m not a superhero? What if I’m the bad guy?”

“Oh. I see.” She said finally understanding, but she didn’t try to remove herself from my embrace. “You’re dangerous?”

I desperately wished I could tell her that wasn’t the case. But—as a testament to how dangerous I truly was—I was holding my breath in order to hold her this close, and I had run out of air to speak.

“But not bad,” she concluded, shaking her head. “No, I don’t believe that you’re bad.” She looked at my lips with a hunger in her eyes that I had not seen there before. Even as a hundred-and-eight-year-old bachelor, I could tell she wanted to kiss me. And, dear god, I wanted to kiss her. Alice had seen me kissing Bella, so clearly, I was strong enough. The question was how long did it take me to build up a tolerance? I hoped a fourteen-minute walk was enough time because this was happening now.

I sucked in a tentative breath. The monster was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps love had silenced him forever.

I stayed perfectly still and watched her raise her lips up to mine. When our lips were just about to meet, she exhaled and the delicious sent of her washed over my entire face. The monster inside roared, and began to tear the bars off of the cage he was locked in, excited to have his prey so close and vulnerable. I clamped my mouth shut before it could tear at her throat.

I ghosted down the hall away from her. Bella fell to the ground. I only knew because I heard her yelp in surprise; I couldn’t allow myself to look back. I needed to escape before the monster broke free from his cage and killed the love of my life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes, you are supposed to ready every "Oh my god" in Bob's voice from Bob's Burgers


	8. The Party pt1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These characters and ideas all belong to Stephanie Meyer

**B-POV**

I sat alone at our lunch table in the dining hall. Edward had skipped our class both Tuesday and Thursday, but I still had a shred of hope that we would miraculously appear to eat with me. It was a stupid hope.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid, Isabella._

Why did I always, constantly ruin everything? In what world would someone like Edward ever want to kiss someone like me? He said it himself, he stuck around me because he was fascinated by me. I was his pathetic little science experiment—a source of humor and nothing more. I was sure I was a joke to his entire family. He would go home after class and recount whatever stupid or embarrassing thing I did that day. So why would I try to kiss him?

“Hey, Bella.” I looked up to see Angela standing at my table holding a tray of food. “May I join you?”

I blinked. “Uh. Yeah, yeah.” I pulled my books off of the table so she would have space for her tray. “Please.”

“Thanks,” she smiled. I smiled back as pleasantly as I could manage.

“I see you up here all the time, but I never want to approach you.”

“Why?”

A knowing smile crossed her face, “You’re here with _him_.”

Jessica walked up to our table and sat down beside Angela, “Hey Ang!” she appraised me. “Well, well, well. Isn’t this an honor. Where’s your new boyfriend?” she sniffed.

I sighed. “Edward’s not my boyfriend.”

“I see you guys walking around campus together all the time,” she argued. “He always looks pretty into you.”

“No. He’s not. He’s just being nice.” I rested my chin in my hand and traced my finger around the lip on my coffee cup. “We’re just friends.”

A blind man could see my dejection over that fact.

“I have no idea how you can have a coherent conversation with him.” Jessica sat down swiftly and took a large bite of brownie. “He sits next to me in class now because of you and all I can think about is licking that boy like an ice cream cone…”

“He’s more than just something to lick, Jess.” My voice was sad, “I thought he could be someone I really care about. What’s worse is I deluded myself into thinking he could care about me, too.”

“Have you gone out on a date?” Jessica probed.

“We eat lunch together every day?” it sounded like a question.

“That’s promising,” Jess perked up. “He clearly enjoys being with you!”

“Yeah, but, he always sits across the table from me, not next to me.”

Angela shook her head, “That doesn’t mean anything, that’s a pretty standard seating arrangement.”

“Okay... But, when we walk to class together he’s scrupulous about keeping a big gap between us. At least a foot, but usually more.” I informed them.

“He knows you’re a big klutz, right?” Jessica giggled. “Maybe he’s just making sure you don’t take him down with you when you fall.”

“I guess.” I was skeptical.

“Anything else?” Angela asked.

I thought it over. A few Fridays ago, I had mentioned some interest in seeing the movie they were showing on campus. He offered to take me, and after that it became a little tradition. “He goes with me to the movies at the student center every Friday.”

Angela lit up, and I shook my head, “But he never, like, makes a move. And I try – I really try – to make it obvious that I want him to do something,” I laid my hand out on the table, face up. “I lay my hand out for him to hold. I try to look cold so he’ll put my arm around me. I put my leg close to his so he’ll put his hand on my knee. Not only does he not do anything, but he sits as far away from me in his seat as he possibly can, and leans of the armrest away from me, like this,” I demonstrated on my chair.

Jessica and Angela considered everything I said.

“Maybe he’s just nervous to make his move; he could be shy,” Angela offered.

Jessica scoffed, “Look at him, Ang. How could he be nervous around Bella,” her tone would have been insulting if I didn’t agree with her. I was completely ordinary, and he was some sexy, vigilante superhero. There was no reason for him to be nervous around me.

Angela pretended to not notice the harsh note in Jess’ comment, “Well I think he likes you.”

I didn’t want to admit this, but I felt like I had to convince Jessica and Angela that Edward didn’t like me so they wouldn’t bring it up again. “Well, there’s more.” I started. “Anytime, _I_ try to make a move—like playfully touch his arm, or brush up against him, he gets mad. His jaw will clench and his eyes will widen and harden. It’ll happen for just a second and then he'll go back to normal, but I notice it every time.”

I thought about the kiss and the murderous expression that crossed his face before he dropped me and disappeared. It was the first time I had seen that terrifying look since our first day of biology together. I hoped we were well passed that, but it was clear my advances brought back the hatred me inexplicably harbored towards me.

Angela’s next words surprised me, “Well fuck him.”

 _I tried to..._ “What?” I asked aloud.

“Fuck him.” She repeated lightly. “Who needs him? You can get someone better. You don’t need him.”

Jessica snorted. I agreed; I highly doubted there was anyone better than Edward.

Angela realized that too and switched tactics. “Okay how about this: there’s a Kai Alpha party tonight. Jess and I can dress you up all hot and sexy, and we can show Mr. Edward exactly what he’s missing.”

Jessica’s eyes lit up, “Ooh, I love that! Let’s take it one step further: get her there with a guy! I’m sure Mike has a single friend he can pair you up with. We can get Eddie all nice and jealous.” She whipped out her phone and began texting furiously.

“Mike?” I asked Angela.

“Jess’s new boyfriend.”

“And what about a date for Angela?” I asked. I really didn’t want to be the only loser at this thing on a blind date.

Angela smiled shyly, “Well, actually, a reason I want to go to the party is I’m kinda hoping the guy I have a crush on will be there.”

“What his name?”

She blushed and looked down, “I don’t know. He sits in the back of my Astrology class.”

“Alright.” Jessica interrupted. “Mike has a friend. His name is Tyler Crowley. They’ll pick us up at 9.”

I didn’t like how easily this plan was coming together. It was a stupid plan. There was no reason for Edward to show up to a party, and there was absolutely no reason that he would be jealous to see me with some random guy. He’d probably be relieved that I was out of his hair.

I wondered if I should tell Jessica and Angela about the rejected kiss fiasco to get me out of this, but the event was too embarrassing to recount even in my head. I attempted to sway them by using my other concerns.

“How will we even know Edward’s going to be there?” I frowned.

“It’s Kai Alpha’s first party of the year. They throw it super late to build the anticipation, and every year, it works. Everyone will be there. Especially a hottie like Edward.” Jessica explained.

Jessica didn’t know Edward, and didn’t realize how “first party of the year” meant less to Edward than it did to me. And it meant practically nothing to me.

“Come on, Bella! It’ll be fun! I’ll make sure you have fun!” Angela promised.

Ugh. I was such a people-pleaser. I was going to be my own downfall. “Oh, okay.” I grumbled, and smiled at Angela.

“Yay!” Jessica squealed.

Angela glanced at her phone, “Okay, I have two more classes today, but I’ll be done around 4:30. Let’s meet in our room at 6, order a pizza, and have a little spa session to get ready.”

“Love it,” Jessica said without looking up from her phone.

“Fine,” I reluctantly agreed.

*******

**E-POV**

My room was the only room hidden away on this secret fourth floor, and I preferred it that way. I had the smallest bedroom in the house, but I considered it the coziest. Having a bedroom was sort of silly for a vampire—we never needed to sleep or rest. But everyone needed to curl up in a large comfortable bed with a book every once in a while, even immortals. The entire south wall of the room was made of large windows that stretched up onto the ceiling to create a skylight. The north and east walls housed my music collection; I kept every A-track, CD, record and cassette I ever owned, each holding special memories. The west wall was exposed brick painted white to match the rest of the house. The floors were a dark, stained concrete with a plush, gray rug centered in the room. The queen-sized bed sat towards the southern end of the room so I could look up at night and see the stars.

The Friday after my kissing fiasco with Bella, I was laying on my bedroom floor, picking at my guitar strings, in the midst of adding music to the poem I wrote for Bella. The song was simple, heavily folk inspired.

The music turned solemn as I considered how there were too many factors keeping me away from my love. I played the same cord over and over, adding an eerie bridge to the song. It felt like oceans separated Bella and me, and I had only human strength to get to her. I needed something—anything—to help me to get to her.

_Splitting at the seams, heaving at the brace. Sheets are billowing, breaking of the day. Sea is not my friend and everyone conspires._

I had destroyed my relationship with my love before it could even begin. I had failed to do something as simple as kiss her and dropped her on the ground and ran away like a fool and a coward.

I played the guitar loudly and frantically to scare away the memory.

_Once I had a dream, once I had a hope. That was yesterday, not so long ago. This is not the end, this is just the world. Such a foolish thing such an honest girl._

I heard my mother’s thoughts outside the door wondering whether or not she should interrupt. “I’m not recording,” I told her.

She peeked in and grinned sheepishly.

Esme had been the first thing that made this life of night tolerable. After Carlisle had changed me, I was scarred from my literal near death experience and lashed out in anger. I was angry at him for turning me into a monster. I was angry at myself for the bloodlust I constantly battled. I was angry at everyone whose thoughts now crowded my mind. Carlisle and I had started out with a tense and awkward relationship.

Then, thank the gods, he discovered Esme. Esme had just lost a baby before she was turned and held onto her maternal instincts. She desired to care and nurture, and I was the closest thing available for her to nurture. And I accepted that care, needling it more than I had realized. She radiated warmth despite her cold skin. I loved her instantly, obviously not in the way that Carlisle did, but enough to create a fast, unbreakable bond between us. We had played many different familial roles throughout the years –siblings, cousins –but mother and son felt the most natural.

“Edward, don’t you think you’re being a tad dramatic?” She asked, referencing the dark room, the closed shades, and the sorrow in the music she no doubt heard me recording.

“This is toned down. My initial impulse was to walk straight into the Pacific and lay on the ocean floor. I am _here_ ,” I gestured to the carpet around me, “for you.”

She smirked; she knew I wasn’t bluffing. One of my many flaws was my tendency to overreact to things. Esme thought of it as “a flair for the dramatic”, Rose called it, “being a prissy, emo bitch”; neither of which I appreciated.

 _"What are you doing?"_ She sat delicately on the edge of my bed.

I laid my forearm over my eyes. “I’m distancing myself from Bella. It’s turning to be a more difficult endeavor than expected.”

Somehow, without my permission, Bella had woven into the warp and weft of my world, and it seemed impossible to extract her now. As I attempted to go back through and try to pick out the Bella strands, I was beginning to unravel.

_"Edward, do you really think that’s necessary?"_

"I have to, Esme. I ruined it. I ruined everything.”

_"I highly doubt that."_

“I can’t kiss her.” Regret burned in my voice.

_"Sure you can, sweetie. Once you take the time to properly woo her, she’ll see how wonderful you are. Any girl would be a fool to not want you."_

I was sure that’s what every vampire mother said to their heartbroken vampire son, but she was missing the point. “No, Esme. I _couldn’t_ kiss her.”

She struggled to understand. I recounted the embarrassing story to her; she flinched when I got to the part where I dropped Bella.

“Oh.” Esme spoke aloud now. “I see. Well, Edward, I know that fighting the bloodlust is difficult, but you’ve been on the straight and narrow for seventy years now…”

“I’ve never encountered blood like hers, Esme.” That fact tore through my chest. “It’s indescribable. The monster inside of me as never been so insatiable.”

 _"Well, there are ways to fix that issue…"_ Esme’s thoughts fluttered towards an image similar to one of Alice’s many visions, but along with red eyes and glittering skin, Bella was also in a wedding dress and I was standing with her at some far-off fantasy alter.

I laughed humorlessly, “This isn’t going to end like a fairy tale, Mom. I can’t remember the last story where the monster won the heart of the princess.”

“There’s always a first for everything.”

“I don’t think I could do that to her, Esme. The only way I could stomach it is if she chose this life for herself.”

She nodded in understanding.

“And since I’m not strong enough to win her heart while she remains human, I doubt that future will ever come to pass.”

I played a few scales on my guitar to quell the agony that began to flare.

Esme’s thoughts darkened. She fretted that I would do something drastic to save me from an endless life of heartbroken solitude.

I tried my best to ease her mind. “I’ve lived alone for a hundred years, Esme. I’m sure I can handle a hundred more.”

“I’m not sure I could handle a hundred more.” She left in a blur and ran off towards her greenhouse where her thoughts would be out of my reach.

Several agonizing, Bella-less hours later, I heard Alice approaching the stairs below my room.

_“I have news. Are you finished wallowing?”_

“No.”

I was still on the floor with my guitar when she flitted up to me; she nudged it out of my arms with her foot.

 _“Well, too bad. There’s going to be a party at frat house night, and there will be a vampire in attendance. I can’t see that he’s going to kill anyone yet, but it’s probably because he hasn’t decided who to kill. We’re going to go to the party and try to stop him. We’ll need your help.”_ I frowned. I did not like the idea of a rogue vampire being so close to Bella. It was bad enough that I was always hanging around her. I knew how appealing luscious she smelled to our kind, and I knew how terribly unlucky she was. That terrifying combination would bring that vampire straight towards her.

Alice interrupted my fretting. _“Lucky for us, the house is backed up against some woods. That’s probably why he’ll pick it. All we have to do is wait for him to approach the house, restrain him as quickly and quietly as possible, and take care of him in the woods. Easy as pie.”_

She rummaged through my closet and threw a pair of tight-fitting, camel-colored pants and a charcoal button-down at me. Her thoughts were light and carefree, like we were planning a trip to the mall rather than a vigilante murder. I understood her peace of mind, these things usually went off without a hitch. With my mind reading and Alice’s foresight, rogue vampires rarely escaped.

But, we haven’t had to deal with a vampire since I had fallen in love with Bella, and I couldn’t leave her unprotected. “I don’t know if I can go, Alice. I need to find Bella and watch her; make sure she’s safe,” I confessed.

Alice attempted to ease my fears. “Don’t worry; this isn’t Bella’s scene.”

Bella has not gone to any sort of college party yet, but knowing her, this would be the night she decided to break out of her mold. “Sorry, Alice. I’m out.”

She shook her head. _“No, your mind reading is too prudent. What if Jasper and I hung around Forks tonight, and you, Emmett and Rose go to the party? Jaz and I will make sure Forks remains vamp free.”_

I didn’t love it, but only because _I_ wanted to be close to Bella. I knew Alice and Jasper would do their best to keep her safe. It wouldn’t be fair to my family to take myself out of the fight. Alice had already done her job – she saw where the vampire was going to be and when. It was important for me to do my job and read the minds of all of the students to make sure none of them realize what we are doing. It made sense for Alice to be the one to sit on the sidelines and watch Bella.

“Fine,” I reluctantly agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In my head, Edward is a songwriter. In this chapter, he is writing a song for James Vincent McMarrow.


	9. The Party pt2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER I have never actually been to a frat party. The idea of them terrifies me. 
> 
> Some of this text is from an old re-write I was working on and was taken directly from Twilight chapter 6. This will only happen one more time. 
> 
> These characters and ideas all belong to Stephanie Meyer

**B-POV**

Several hours of forced pampering later, Jessica, Angela and I found ourselves at our first college party. It jam-packed with college students reeking of beer and sweat. The latest hits were playing in this room, but a body-thumping techno music was blaring from the basement. There was little grinding action in the corner and a few couples making out on the couches. Two of the fraternity brothers of the house were loud and welcoming as they handed out warm keg beer to anyone walking in. I took the cup they offered, and immediately put it down on the first available surface.

I felt absolutely ridiculous. Angela and Jessica wanted to me “show off” to Edward, and stuck me in a tight, navy blue T-shirt dress and tights. My feet were too small for their shoes, so I had to stay in the ratty, white sneakers I wore with my jeans.

At first I protested against the dress—it was cold outside!—but Jessica would not let me change back into my jeans.

“A hoe never gets cold,” she explained, like it was an actual response and utter nonsense.

I looked at a cluster of sweaty boys with distain and remembered I supposedly on a date with one of those creatures.

“Which one is Tyler?” I asked Jessica.

She didn’t look up from her phone, “He’s not here.”

Great. I got stood up by a date I didn’t even want.

“Mike just texted me,” Jessica called out over the music, “he and Tyler will be here soon, their pregame party went longer than they expected.” Then, the squealed very loudly in my ear and ran off to a group of girls who were waving to her, excitedly.

“There’s a bonfire outside.” Angela yelled in my ear. “Want to go out there?” I nodded eagerly.

Once outside, I was more at ease. There was a massive bonfire burning brightly, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere; a much better atmosphere that whatever they were trying to create inside. There were large logs placed around the fire for seating, where several girls were perched and chatted amicably along themselves. Closer to the woods that lined the house, there were a few more kegs with several large packs of guys surrounding them. Was every social gathering going to resemble a middle school dance for the rest of my life?

“That’s my guy.” Angela whispered in my ear. I turned to where she was looking: towards a large group of the boys I recognized from the reservation. Oh no.

“Which one?” I asked tentatively. Quil? Embry? Seth? I hoped it was Seth. Everybody loved Seth.

“That one. In the red shirt.”

I wanted to groan. Laughing with his tribe in a red flannel shirt, was Jacob Black.

Angela regarded my expression. “Do you know him?”

I nodded.

“Uh oh. Is he not a good guy?” she was nervous now.

“No, no. He’s great. He’s my dad’s boyfriend’s son. Been like a brother to me my whole life.”

“That’s amazing. Can you get him over here?”

“I can try. But I can’t make any promises when he’s with his bros.” I warned.

Angela pursed her lips and nodded.

I took her hand and led her over towards the pack of boys. Jacob stared me down with obvious disapproval, but I didn’t care. This was a free party in a free country.

“Look boys, it’s The Ugly Duckling!” A boy I remembered named Paul called out as I approached, using the nickname they called me in middle school. I felt my face turn bright red, but held my ground. This was for Angela.

He elbowed the boy next to him—Sam, perhaps—and laughed again, “The fairy tale was right; ugly ducklings do turn into beautiful swans.” I didn’t like how long he stared at my legs.

I tried to be as effortlessly causal as possible, “Howdy!” That wasn’t right.

“How have you been, Bella?” Sam asked.

Jacob saved me from having to speak again, “More importantly, how’s your adorable friend, Isabella?” He winked at Angela. Ugh. Jacob was hardly a Romeo.

“This is Angela.”

“Hello, Angela.” The boys called out.

Jacob took a step in the circle to get closer to Angela and me.

“We have Astronomy together,” Angela informed Jacob.

He smiled and stepped again so he was between Angela and the rest of his friends. “That’s right; we do. I’m Jacob Black. Jake. You must be the pretty girl who sits in the front of the lecture hall.”

She raised one hand and giggled, “Guilty.”

“Let’s sit by the fire, you must be cold.” Desire burned in his eyes as he regarded Angela’s tiny dress.

“Okay!”

Jacob led her towards the roaring fire. I scurried behind them and ignored the chuckles from the boys behind me. Angela sat on a log, and Jacob sat close beside her. I sat on a log adjacent to them, to give them some space.

“This bonfire is cute, but if you want to see a real bonfire, you should come down to First Beach down at La Push.”

“Oh really?” Angela licked her lips. “I would love to see the Reservation. Native American culture is so beautiful and fascinating.”

“Do you know any of our old stories, about where we came from—the Quileutes, I mean?”

From what I could remember, the guys on the Reservation were all talented story-tellers. They could weave together magical legends of wisdom and bravery, painting beautiful pictures with their words alone. The bonfire beside us added an extra layer of enchantment.

“No…” Angela admitted.

“Well, there are lots of legends, some of them claiming to date back to the Flood—supposedly, the ancient Quileutes tied their canoes to the tops of the tallest trees on the mountains to survive like Noah and the ark,” he smiled “Another legend claims that we descended from wolves—and that the wolves are our brothers still. It’s against tribal law to kill them.

“And then,” Jacob peeked at me, “there are stories about the cold ones.”

“The—the cold ones?” Angela stammered.

“Yes. There are stories of the cold ones as old as the wolf legends, and some much more recent. According to legend, my own great-grandfather knew some of them. He was the one who made the treaty that kept them off our land.” He wiggled his fingers in Angela’s face.

She giggled and swatted his hand away, “Your great-grandfather?”

He nodded and his eyes darted back to me again, “He was a tribal elder, like my father. You see, the cold ones are the natural enemies of the wolf—well, not the wolf, really, but the wolves that turn into men. These wolves are stronger, faster, and larger than regular wolves.”

He playfully brushed his leg up against hers, “You white people call them werewolves.”

Angela laughed again, “Werewolves have enemies? I thought they were supposed to be the monsters.”

“No, no, Young Padawan.” He smiled at his Star Wars reference. “The werewolves are the good guys. Protecting people against their only enemy.”

“The cold ones?” Angela asked flatly.

“Very good. So you see, the cold ones are traditionally our enemies. But recently, there was one coven that came to our territory during my great-grandfather’s time that was different. Their golden eyes were supposed to show they didn’t hunt the way others of their kind did—they weren’t supposed to be dangerous to the tribe. So my great-grandfather made a truce with them. If they would promise to stay off our lands, we wouldn’t expose them to the pale-faces.” He poked her side and winked.

Angela blithely swatted him away again, her eyes still sparkling and alluring; she was a good flirt. She kept Jacob talking by asking, “If they weren’t dangerous, than why the truce?”

“There’s always a risk for humans to be around the cold ones,” Jacob gave me a sideways glance once more. “even if they’re civilized like this clan was. You never know when they might get too hungry to resist.”

“What do you mean ‘civilized’? Civilized monsters?”

“They claimed that they don’t hunt humans. They supposedly are somehow able to prey on animals.”

“Woah, woah, woah. ‘ _Are?’_ ” Angela grinned and squeezed Jacob’s forearm, “Jacob Black do you believe in these monsters?”

Jacob smirked at her question, and threw me another quick look, “There are whispers going around the Reservation that this coven has returned. There is a new male and a new female, but the other five are the same one my great-grandfather met. You will have to be careful. At a quick glance, these creatures look just like you or me. You can tell a person is a Cold One from their hard, cold skin and their changing eyes.

“They will appear beautiful to human eyes to lure you in. Once your close enough, they can use their hypnotic eyes to compel you to do what they want. And then… they… get you!” He faked a lunge towards Angela causing her to flinch, then reached down to tickle her sides. She squealed and giggled, Jacob laughed with her.

“So, what are they supposed to be?” Angela asked after calming her breath, “Ice monsters? Yetis?”

“No,” Jacob worked to add an edge of menace into his tone, “Blood drinkers.” And in and even lower voice he added, “Vampires.”

Angela laughed again. “Okay, now it’s my turn. Let me tell you, about the ancient lore of the strange and enchanting land of West Virginia.” She wiggled her fingers back at him, “Have you ever heard of Mothman?”

*******

**E-POV**

Later that night, I pulled into the driveway at the house of the party. Emmett and Rosalie were right after me.

“Whew,” Emmett wheezed, fanning his hand in from of his nose, “You guys smell that?”

He was referencing the wet dog smell we recognized as the werewolf’s scent. Several members of the Quileute tribe had the power of shapeshifting within them, and apparently sought out higher learning like us vampires.

Rose took her husband’s hand and held it in hers, “Please don’t make a scene. You know werewolves attend our school.”

“I knew that, I just wish they would stay downwind.”

Emmett and I walked towards the house while Rose disappeared into the neighboring woods to do the initial scope. The boys standing near the keg looked a bit staggered as Emmett and I approached.

 _Ow, fuck. That hurt my hand_ , one of them thought as he clasped me on my shoulder. He handed me a beer anyway. This dude must be pure muscle. Is it gay to ask a guy his gym routine? I held it up in gratitude and winked at him.

_Woah, I might be a little gay. Do girls like that?_

Emmett had stayed near the front door where the main party was taking place. I found my way into the kitchen to watch the back door. The kitchen seemed to be less popular than the front room, for drinks were placed in buckets around the house, and this didn’t seem like the kind of event that would be catered. There were a few quiet conversations going on and these couples seemed more intimate than the ones on the sofas out front.

I could hear Rosalie take her place upstairs. Rosalie hated going to these things and I could empathize with her thoughts. Parties like this were often teeming with boys trying to get girls drunk enough to sleep with them. Rosalie lost her human life to a rapist and his friends, so events like this put her on edge. It was extremely brave of her to come out like this and face what she feared. She coped with the trauma by stationing herself near the stairs of the house, ready to step in and save any drunk girls who were not conscious enough to say ‘no’ to the boys dragging them up to the bedrooms.

I would often keep my mind open for vile thoughts for her benefit. The thoughts of one boy were particularly loud this evening. He arrived drunk, after pregaming a little too hard with his friends. He was pleased that the blind date he had been set up with was hot, and he was sizing her up to see how far she would go with him. Through his mind, I could see the rear end of his current victim. The poor girl was showing off her sensuous curves in a tight, form fitting blue dress. I pitied her; she probably had the intention of coming out for a nice night with friends and chose an outfit that made her feel confident. She didn’t come out to be a conquest for the likes of this guy.

 _"Hopefully a few drinks will help her forget all about her stupid boyfriend."_ He thought. “I got you a drink,” and then he finally looked up at his victim’s face. She had high, prominent cheekbones and luscious lips that were a little too big for her narrow face.

“No,” I whispered as this guy leered into the chocolate eyes of my Bella. What was she doing here? What was she doing here with him? What was she doing here with him wearing _that?_

“Um, thanks, Tyler.” She took the drink from his hand but did not take a sip from it. Good girl.

“Of course, would you like to go inside? We could get cozier on one of the couches than we could here.” He gestured to the logs.

“Um, no thank you. I want to stay by the fire.” I released a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. She didn’t want to get cozy with him. That was good.

I skipped through the minds of everyone in the house, checking for nefarious vampire behavior before skipping back to Bella. Tyler’s thoughts were loud, so I could find them easily. Bella was outside the house sitting around a bonfire. Tyler was standing away from her near his friends, trying to decide whether she was a wet fish or not.

She looked enchanting; her dark hair black with the night and her pale face slightly pink from the warmth of the flames. Her face was blank, staring straight across the flames. As much as I enjoyed having someone staring at Bella so I could see her, I was repulsed that it had to be the mind of this horrid boy. His eyes lingered on her cleavage or her bare legs for far too long.

Thankfully, her friend Angela finished making out with a werewolf named Jacob and went to go check on Bella. I switched over to her mind, pleased to be rid of the vulgarities.

 _"Poor Bella, she still seems so sad. I’ve doing a terrible job at making sure she has fun…"_ "Hey, date’s a dud?” Angela asked Bella after sitting beside her.

“Worse than a dud. He’s disgusting.” Bella looked miserable.

 _"Oof, maybe setting her up with one of Mike’s friends wasn’t a good idea,"_ Angela considered. That piece of information pleased me. This date wasn’t Bella’s idea.

“Is he even here?” Bella asked forlornly. Angela considered the question and tried to recall if she’d seen my face. Wait a second, _my_ face? Bella hoped I would be here? Bella wanted to see me? I was instantly giddy at the thought. I should go to her now, talk to her, try to explain to her how I feel. But the hope in me dissipated when I considered the fact that Bella could want to know where I was so she could avoid me. It seemed more likely. I had inadvertently rejected her in the cruelest of ways…

Angela spoke her exact thoughts aloud, “I didn’t see him, but he could be inside.”

Bella’s beautiful eyes widened in horror. “I don’t want to go in there,” my sweet girl admitted.

 _"Yeesh, me neither. But I had let Bella down once tonight. Time to put on a brave face, Ang."_ “Want me to look around for you?”

Bella nodded her head, “Yes, please,” she said, meekly.

I stayed where I was, hoping to decipherer Bella’s intentions when Angela spotted me. Angela walked back into the party from the front door which was annoying. It would take some time before she could spot me here. I could leave my station and venture to where she was, but that would leave the rear of the house unprotected.

“Hey! Where’d you go!” the werewolf Angela had been kissing from earlier had spotted her and called her over to where she was standing.

_"Well, maybe just a few more kisses… Bella will be fine for a bit. Jessica’s out there."_

Ugh. I didn’t want to listen to this. I did another sweep of the thoughts in the house, followed by a sweep of the woods. Still no vampires. Maybe this vampire changed his mind for the evening.

I was about to pop back into Angela’s head to see where she was, when I heard commotion coming from the other room. I immediately switched to Emmett’s thoughts and saw him clearing off the beer pong table. The boys in the room with him were hooting and shouting, completely wasted. They handed Emmett another beer and he chugged it, unaffected by the alcohol. The boys cheered again.

“I am an immortal who walks this world, seeking a worthy challenge!” Emmett boomed. “Who wishes to be the first challenger?” The living room around him went wild.

One of the more muscular drunk boys –about my size, but nothing compared to Emmett’s brawn—volunteered. His fraternity brothers cheered. The boy swaggered to the table and had a seat across from Emmett. He placed his elbow and held out his hand for Emmett. They began to arm wrestle.

I had no idea how Emmett found arm wrestling with drunk humans enjoyable—I imagined it would be as riveting as playing chess with a toddler—but every party we went to, Emmett would challenge the humans once they got drunk enough to be suspicious if his cold, hard hands. He toyed with this guy a little, letting the kid think he had a chance.

“How do you get so strong, man?” The boy asked, his face turning bright red from the strain.

“I drink bear’s blood for breakfast!” Emmett yelled, and he slammed the kid’s arm into the table.

“Bro, that’s fuckin’ awesome!”

“Who’s next?” The boys hooted again and pushed one from their group in the front. The boy cracked his knuckles and sat across from Emmett, a goofy, drunken grin stretched across his face. Emmett looked up and saw Rosalie standing at the bottom of the stairs, smiling, despite herself, and enjoying her husband’s wacky antics.

 _"This one’s for you, baby."_ He thought towards her.

I jumped over to Rose’s thoughts to get a better view of the fun. Rose glanced around the room, and through her eyes, I saw that Tyler, Angela and a few others from Bella’s group had joined in on the commotion, but Bella wasn’t with them. I jumped through a couple of minds to get different perspectives of the room. No Bella. Beginning to panic, I searched outside for thoughts near the fire, but no one was out there anymore. Of course, that didn’t mean Bella wasn’t still out by the fire.

I darted out the back door, not caring that I had a human facade to maintain and went to the fire pit. No one was there. I knew it was useless to hope that she just went home. Now in full panic mode, I followed her sweet, musky scent and, to my immense displeasure, I discovered the trail led away from the safety of the house and other people, and into the woods.

What insane instinct did Bella have that told her to go off into the woods alone at night? Probably the same insane instinct that told her to kiss a vampire.

I took off into the night after my love.


	10. The Party pt3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING this chapter does have some graphic content and will be rated M 
> 
> These characters and ideas all belong to Stephanie Meyer.

**B-POV**

“There you are!” I cringed at the sound of my blind date’s voice.

I was sitting at the bonfire again, but this time I was alone. There was a large commotion coming from the house. Everyone outside went inside to see what was happening.

“I’ve been looking for you.”

He dropped himself onto the log beside me. “You know,” his words slurred as he spoke, “I was really bummed that I had to come to this thing with one of Jessica’s reject friends. But you…” He reached to tuck a lock of my hair behind my ear, I flinched away from his touch, but he was too drunk to notice.

“You’re so pretty,” Tyler breathed into my ear. His breath was hot and rank—it smelled like beer and taquitos. I missed Edward’s honey-orange scent.

Edward…

“I liked that you stayed out here.” His eyes were too dilated and unfocused to be alluring, but that didn’t stop Tyler from attempting to smolder. “It gave us a chance to be alone.”

Tyler puckered his lips and aimed them at me. Dear god. This couldn’t be happening. Panicked, I did the only thing I knew when it came to avoiding a kiss.

I ran away.

I heard Tyler fall off the log and onto the ground. “What the fuck?” he called out into the darkness. He would find me easily again inside, and Angela drove so I couldn’t hide in my truck, so I tucked myself into the trees along the house.

“Come on, baby, where’d you go?” He was stumbling towards the woods. I stepped further back, away from his approach. I noticed a small, dirt path and made my way down it. I could just walk in here for a little while, just until I was sure Tyler would give up and make his way back inside.

The forest was dark and foreboding, but there was peace in its sullen ambiance. The canopy let no light filter through, there was no sound. My eyes flickered over the thick, dark trunks of the trees that rose steadily into the sky, its branches interlocking with its neighbors like giant’s arms linked together protecting their home. I brushed my hands along the leaves as I walked down the path, and breathed in the scent of the forest. The musty scent of leaves after rainfall, the warm soil, the smoke lingering in from the bonfire. I continued down further down the path of the forest into solitude.

As per usual, my thoughts drifted to Edward… I began mulling over the evidence. Specific facts about vampires that I knew: they drank blood, they could only come out at night, and they couldn’t eat garlic. I hadn’t seen Edward eat much; he never ate lunch any of the times we sat at the dining hall. He claimed it was because of his vegan diet and there weren’t any vegan options, but that seemed like a stretch. There had to be other vegan students in trendy Seattle and the school had to cater to them. The only time I did see him eat was when I brought him cookies, but that was only after I specifically asked him to eat one. At the time, I thought he hesitated to take the cookies because he was trying to decide what implications that action would make, and if he wanted to make said implications. But, maybe he hesitated because he didn’t eat food; because he drank blood instead.

Next, I thought about what Jacob had said about vampires. First, he referred to them as the cold ones . It’s true that Edward had cold skin. I recalled the brief moments out hands would touch, and he was always freezing. My mother always had cold hands, and whenever we held hands, her cold ones would use my body heat and warm up until they were the same temperature. Edward had always avoided my touch. It hurt me deeply each time I would reach for him, only to see him pull back. I thought it was because he did not want to feel that special bond that touch brought with me But, maybe he pulled back because he didn’t want me to notice how cold his touch would be.

Second, Jacob mentioned the “golden eyes” of the vampires in his legend. Edward did have golden eyes, but that didn’t mean much. It could just be pure coincidence. Or – possibly more likely – Jacob used Edward’s eye color in the legend just to frighten me. But, that point had brought out another, much more relevant fact in the story. The vampires had golden eyes because they didn’t drink human blood, they drank animal blood. I thought through Edward’s body language. He tended to stand or sit as far away from me as he could, but he remained close enough to stay engaged with me. To me, it was the same message as avoiding my touch: “I do not want to be romantically involved with you”. But, maybe he stayed away because he thirsted for human blood but resisted the call.

Finally, the werewolves in the story were stronger and faster than normal wolves in order to defeat their stronger, faster pray. Wolves were dangerous animals to humans already, so there would be no reason for the werewolves to be any faster and stronger if vampires had human attributes. However, if vampires had superhuman speed and strength, the advancement would be necessary. I had witnessed Edward run across a parking lot in a matter of seconds to save me. The evidence was stacking up in favor of Edward being a vampire.

The main point against this argument was that it was literally insane. Did I truly believe Edward could be a vampire, or was I just so desperate for his love, I would believe anything that would negate his constant rejection?

I didn’t hear or see anything, but suddenly I was shoved up against a tree by a large hand around my throat. I attempted to scream, but the hand clamped my jaw shut before I had the chance to open my mouth and forced me to look into his eyes.

I stopped breathing, mesmerized. He had the most beautiful eyes: deep, iridescent, bright crimson. They were haunting. Somewhere, in a very distant, muffled part of my mind, alarm bells began to ring, desperately signaling that something was very wrong. I dismissed the bells. I wanted to stay here, lost in these beautiful eyes.

He clicked his tongue at me. “Now don’t you say nothin’ till I tell you to speak.” He removed his hand from my jaw and placed it on my cheek. My mouth stayed shut. His other hand was pushed up against my stomach, pinning me to the tree. I struggled to breathe as he pressed down too hard. It hurt, and I whimpered.

He seemed to like that, I heard him chuckle with satisfaction. “My, my, sweetie. Don’t you smell good?” he sneered in a deep southern drawl. He licked my cheek with his cold, wet tongue.

His hand moved down my stomach and he ripped my tights. My mind screamed at my body to squirm away, but my body was stuck; captivated by glistening, ruby eyes. He adjusted himself closer so his body restrained mine to the tree. He moved his hand between my thighs. His fingers were too cold and too strong, his touch only caused me pain.

“You like that, honey?” he taunted.

I trembled. A second later, his hands were off me, and I collapsed to the ground.

I looked up to see Edward standing protectively over me. My attacker was laying on the ground, twenty feet away. The snarl that escaped Edward’s lips was feral.

“I was hoping a Cullen would show up tonight.” the man who attacked me sneered. Edward’s furious expression froze into place.

The stranger was standing now, so quickly that I didn’t even see it happen. He began shifting his position back and forth, trying to gauge what Edward would do. The stranger faked left, and darted right, but Edward was ahead of him. Edward caught him by the throat and threw him back another ten feet.

The stranger laughed from the ground, “Wow, Edward Cullen, no less. Now this made it worth the trip.” The stranger grinned at Edward and Edward’s protective stance got lower.

He snarled once more. “Who are you?” Edward questioned. The malice seemed out of place in his velvet voice.

“Why don’t you let me taste the human and I’ll tell you everything I know.” the stranger leered over at me. I shivered.

Edward bared his teeth, “I will rip your arms off if you touch one hair on her head.”

The stranger’s eyes widened in surprise. “You care for this creature?” He burst into raucous laughter, “No, no. You love this creature. Who would have thought a vampire would be stupid enough to fall in love with a human?”

There were a few words in that statement that should have captured my attention, but I could focus on one: love. Edward had fallen in love with a human. _I_ was a human. All of my wild speculations were true. All of the distance and rejection from the past few weeks meant nothing. Edward pushed me away again and again because he was a vampire. More importantly, Edward stayed near because he cared for me.

Edward flashed at the man and knocked him down somehow; it was too fast to tell if it was a punch or a kick. The man lunged for Edward again. Edward caught him, grabbed the stranger’s head and slammed it against his knee. The sound was deafening, like two stones colliding.

Edward held the stranger out, and a streak flew past and disappeared with my attacker. Before I could make sense of what happened, a burly behemoth of a boy appeared next to Edward. Emmett, I recalled from my English class. What was Emmett doing here?

“Yo, what happened? Where is he?” Emmett asked. Edward relayed the events to Emmett, but something seemed off. Their conversation sounded distant; too far away for two people standing in front of me. Like I was listening to them from under water. I wanted to follow along, but my mind was too muddled.

The muddy waters cleared for a moment when Emmett looked down at me, “What’s with her?”

Edward turned to me, his golden eyes were wide with worry. Much to my surprise, I was crying. He took in the tears pouring down my face with a frown.

“I don’t know.” He knelt down beside me. “I’m worried she’s going into shock. Bella, can you hear me?” I tried to answer him, but every time I tried to speak, the haunting red eyes clouded my vision and stole my words. I could do nothing but stare at him stupidly.

Emmett chortled, “Dude, that sucks, First you’re in love with a human, now you’re in love with a crazy human. Are you still gonna love her after she’s admitted into a nuthouse?”

There was that word again. Love.

“Of course,” Edward replied thoughtlessly. His eyes bore into mine and he seemed to lose himself for just a moment. With a quick shake of his head, he realized what he was doing, and what he just said. “Shut up, Emmett. Go help Rose.”

Emmett laughed one last time, the dimples on his chin when he laughed were cute. If we weren’t so massive, I would consider him to be adorable. He was gone in an instant, leaving Edward and me alone.

Edward reached over and wiped the tears from my eyes with a gloved hand. How odd, I didn’t remember him wearing gloves during his fight, but perhaps this was another vampire magic trick? The ability to conjure gloves?

“Bella?” he crooned, his voice comforting like the softest of lullabies. He continued talking, but I couldn’t quite make out what he was saying. Whatever it was, it was soothing. I could have drifted to sleep then and there under Edward’s protective watch. My eyes fluttered shut while he spoke.

“I’m so sorry, Bella.” I heard him whisper. Then, I was floating above the ground, held in his arms, bridal style. I took in the scent of my vampire love. He was so sweet, like honey and oranges. I wanted to drown in his smell.

There was a whoosh of air, and I was being placed on a cool leather seat. Had I drifted off to sleep? No, no. Vampires were fast. Edward was fast and I was fast with him…

A seatbelt stretched over my chest, and there was a small click. The car rumbled to life a second after the click, and we were off.

I stared at his beautiful face as we drove trying to find the right words. His perfect, chiseled jaw was tense, his full lips set into an angry line. I waited patiently for him to relax so we could speak. I didn’t want to confess my love to Edward while he was angry. We sat in silence for a long time, the only sounds were the hum of the engine and the music he had playing at a low volume.

I recognized the song from one of the CD’s he gave me, and wondered if he made himself a copy for himself as well. I rather liked the thought of Edward and I listening to the same song at the same time, sharing experiences no matter how far apart we were.

“Bella,” his velvet voice caressed my name causing my heart to skip a beat, “I will never be able to express to you how sorry I am. None of this was supposed to happen. I should have left the moment I realized I lov—“ he stopped himself before he could say the words.

He stared blankly out the front window for a long time before he continued. “I deluded myself into thinking that I deserved the chance to earn your affection, as if I deserve anything from you,” his voice was dripping with self-loathing.

The Beatles’ soft strumming was deafening in the harsh silence of the car. They sang a song I didn’t recognize from Edward’s many CD’s. _“I can hear them laugh at me and I hear them say, Hey, you've got to hide your love away”._ Edward’s long fingers reached over to the dashboard and shut off the radio.

I waited for the tone to change. For him to conclude that he could never leave me because we were in love. No one ever thought they deserved the person they loved. But love is fighting each and every day to be deserving of that love.

“I am a monster in every sense of the word.” He continued. “I lied to you. I lied to you every damn day about what I was, because I wanted you to stay close to me. I put you at constant risk because I thought it would be alright.”

My voice caught in my throat. This was not where the conversation was supposed to go. He was getting it all wrong. He was not a monster. Monsters were ugly, harsh and cruel creatures while Edward was beautiful, gentle and caring.

“I just wanted you. I wanted you to think that I was worthy of you.” His voice broke. My heart twisted at the raw pain in his voice. “But I’m not. And I never will be.”

No. I wanted to scream, but swirling red eyes clouded my vision and sealed my lips.

Edward _was_ worthy of me. Edward _was_ worthy of love. If anything I was unworthy of him. The beautiful vampire who saved my life not once, but twice. The incredible person who opened my eyes to see myself as someone who was funny, and smart and strong—someone I could actually like.

All my life I felt like I was an outsider looking in. Never part of any crowd, never anyone’s first choice. Pushed aside by my supposed best friend. Abandoned by my own mother. Politely ignored by my father. But when Edward was with me, I felt like I was the only one in the world. That he truly wanted to be nowhere else besides right there with me.

I was only worth something to Edward. And if he was gone, I would be worthless again.

“Edward,” I tried to start, but the words could not escape my lips.

He noticed my struggle. “I don’t expect anything from you, it’s okay. I will leave you. I promise you will never have to see me again.”

We pulled into my driveway. We made the hour-long drive in less than twenty minutes. I lingered in the passenger seat, unsure of what to do.

“I am so sorry I tricked you into caring for me – into caring for a monster.” He smiled wistfully at me, but his eyes retained their sadness.

We stared at each other for a moment, I reached out in a final, desperate attempt to show him that I care.

His expression went slack. He caught my hand and gingerly put it into my lap. “Goodbye, Bella.”


	11. Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just finished Midnight Sun, and I will admit, I loved it so much. I still love my darling emo queen Edward, even if I did learn how much of a stupid asshole he was. If anything, it showed us how much loving Bella changed him between Twilight and Breaking Dawn, you know? He not only learned to love Bella, but he also learned to love himself. 
> 
> Anyway, this chapter and this Edward are WAY less edgy. Please enjoy! 
> 
> These characters and ideas all belong to Stephanie Meyer

**E-POV**

I barged though the front door of my house, almost tearing it off the hinges. “Alice!” I snarled.

My sister leapt up from her perch on the sofa. Holding her hands up defensively she said, “Edward, let me explain.”

“How could you not tell me!?” I roared. “You knew she would be there!”

“You guys needed to talk about the kiss!”

“Well, we had a wonderful conversation in the car after she was almost killed, Alice.”

Alice stood up on the couch so she could be taller than me, “Edward! I truly did not see this happening! No one would be able to! Who walks into the woods alone at night?”

Aggravated, I threw my hands up, “Bella! Bella does with her insane backwards instincts!”

I stepped up closer to Alice, my voice almost a growl, “If Bella is ever endangered again because you decided to meddle in my life, Alice, I swear to god I will—“ Jasper was in my face in a second.

“Watch it,” he warned, nostrils flared. I restrained myself from rolling my eyes. Like Jasper could ever best me in a fight. He might have years of military training and expertise on his side, but I would know his every move before he made it.

“Jasper, please. It’s just Edward,” Alice put her tiny hand on his chest and pushed him until he stepped back. Jasper loosened his stiff posture under her touch. He released a slow, steady breath and looked back up at me. _“Sorry,”_ he forced into his thoughts. He hated anything that threatened his mate, and apparently that could include me.

I glowered back at Alice, “Never again, Alice. Do you understand me? She has enough bad luck as it is, she doesn’t need you forcing her into any more accidents.”

“I’m sorry, Edward.” Alice meant her apology. “But you were going to give up on her! You can’t, Edward!”

“Well, I have to now, Alice.” I slumped down onto the couch, all anger in my body replaced with grief.

 _“She wasn’t supposed to go into the woods.”_ Alice, thought, frustrated at herself. _“She was supposed to go into the kitchen to get some water and run into you…”_

“Well it doesn’t matter now. She knows everything,” I buried my face in my hands. Hiding was useless because Jasper could feel how absolutely devastated I was over that fact, he didn’t need to see the desolation on my face.

Alice sat beside me on the couch and put her tiny arms around me. “Edward, you knew she would find out the truth someday, if you wanted a relationship with her.”

“Yes, she was going to know the truth eventually…” In my own time, when it felt safe and natural. The first part of the poem I wrote for her to eloquently explain the gory details of my life was already typed up on my laptop upstairs. “But not like this; it was awful!”

“What did she say?” Alice placed her forehead on my bicep.

“Nothing.” I choked out. “She was so...terrified. She could not speak after the attack.” My poor darling. “And what should I expect her to say? The same monster who attacked her confessed it’s love for her in the very same night.”

“No.” Alice squeezed herself against me, “You are not the same monster as him. You would never hurt anyone the way he did.”

“The difference won’t matter to Bella.”

“You don’t know that. You don’t know her mind.” I wished I could believe Alice’s words. Bella had every right to be afraid of me, no matter how much I loved her.

Alice’s arms went slack, and I looked down at her to see the familiar far-off gaze she had when a vision was about to come through. We watched Rose and Emmett running through the woods.

“They’ll be home soon.” Her focus came back into the room. “I’ll go get Carlisle and Esme, they’ll want to hear what they have to say.”

“Where are they?” I asked.

“In the cottage.” Alice replied. Esme had built Carlisle a tiny little house off in the woods as an anniversary present one year. It had one room, because it only served one purpose.

“Are you sure you should interrupt them while they’re in there?” I raised an eyebrow.

Alice shrugged, “It’s fine, they finished six minutes ago.” There was truly no privacy in the Cullen household.

“I can go get them,” Jasper offered.

“Thank ya bay-bee.”

“Any time, darling.” Jasper let his words lapse back into the Southern drawl he knew Alice found so charming. He kissed her hair and was out of the room in the same second.

I waited until he was out of hearing range, “I’m sure Jasper thinks I’m an absolute maniac.” I sighed. He was so careful with his interpretations of my feelings, which I always appreciated. I didn’t need two minds reminding me how deranged I was.

“Don’t worry about it. Jasper thought you were a maniac since day one.”

“Very comforting.”

“We got nothing,” Emmet declared, appearing at the back of the house. Rosalie stalked in after her husband, her thoughts aggravated and calculating. Jasper, Alice, Esme, Carlisle and I were already sitting at our dining room table. “Dining” was a bit of a misnomer for this table was more of a conference table. If any of us used our typical dining habits at this antique table of Esme’s, she’d have us skinned and stuffed.

“How did you try to extract the information?” Jasper asked.

Rose and Emmett took their usual seats at the table. “Same as usual, I held him down, and Rose took him apart piece by piece and threw the bits into the fire until he talked. We always start with toes, then hands, ears, nose.. so on. But this guy wouldn’t budge. Refused to tell us anything.” Emmett explained.

I fumed. I wished I could be the one to torture him. I would have had him begging for the sweet release of death after what he did to my Bella.

Esme gasped, “Torture? Why would you need to torture someone?”

“He knew about us.” I explained to Esme, “He said, ‘I was hoping to run into a Cullen’ when I caught him.”

“How would a nomad know about us?” Carlisle mused. “You kids eliminate anyone we encounter, no one could spread that kind of information.”

“Could it simply be that he knew that we are in the area? We’re a large coven, it’s likely that nomads keep tabs on us to know to steer clear.” Esme asked.

“Possibly. However, he didn’t just know I was a Cullen. He noticed that I blocked him a second too soon and drew the conclusion that I was Edward Cullen because Edward can read minds.” I frowned. This was the second person who perceived my mind reading ability. Maybe I _was_ getting messy.

Esme gaped. “Couldn’t you glean anything from his thoughts?”

I shook my head, “He controlled his thoughts from me the second he realized who I am.” The vile creature replayed the sensation of violating Bella in his head over and over again.

Carlisle pursed his lips and looked towards Emmett and Rose. “Did he recognize either of you like he recognized Edward?”

They both nodded, “Yeah, he referred to us both by name.” Emmett said. “Very creepy.”

“Maybe he has foresight, like Alice,” Esme suggested. “She knew our names when she first arrived.” We all considered that. It was a good point.

“I saw his mind, it looked different than Alice’s looks, but that’s not saying too much. This isn’t an exact science.” I added.

“This is too much speculation and theory,” Jasper said, “We have to go out there and do some real reconnaissance. Find out if there are more vampires who know of us.”

“Oh HELL yeah!” Emmett boomed. “I will pick a fight with some rival vamp gang than go to school any day of the week!”

Alice threw her husband a disapproving look. “And where exactly will you look for this imaginary vampire gang?” she asked.

“You don’t need to leave,” Esme interjected, “You just started school!” she added in a motherly tone.

“Okay, okay” Alice put her hands up, pleading. “This was not a full attack. A vampire we were going to kill anyway happened to know some stuff about us. Not a crazy huge deal. Edward and I will catch any impending doom. There’s no need to send out a whole SWAT team to remove an evil force that we’re not even sure is there.”

Jasper leaned back in his chair and frowned, “I don’t know; I don’t like leaving this string hanging.”

Alice crossed her arms and smirked knowingly. “That’s because you have a Latin essay due on Wednesday that you don’t want to write” she said.

Rosalie spoke up for the first time that night, “Edward should be the one to go out and find them. He can track. He can read their minds. He should be able to find the other coven, if it exists.” The thoughts at the table were surprised and Rosalie’s idea; Esme disapproved of it immediately.

“No!” she cried out.

Carlisle placed a tender hand on Esme’s shoulder, “Rosie is just suggesting what she thinks is best for the family, my love.”

“What about Bella?” Alice asked.

“Bella,” Rose frowned when she said her name, “Is the main reason Edward should be the one to do go. Once again, this girl has seen too much because of him”

“Bella already knew the truth without our interference, one of the werewolves told her at the bonfire,” Alice informed the family, glaring at Rosalie.

No one liked that news.

“Welp,” Emmett leaned back in his chair, “I guess this means we have a free pass to slaughter the Quileutes if we so please.”

“Stupid shifters,” Jasper muttered.

"Knows the truth’?” Carlisle picked out Alice’s words with surprise. “Edward, does Bella know what you are.”

Alice and I nodded in unison.

Carlisle pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, “What did you tell her, son?”

I recounted the events for the family, including the words that would have given me a heart attack if I still had a beating heart: _Who would have thought a vampire would be stupid enough to fall in love with a human?_

Carlisle’s face grew somber at that statement, “He knew you had fallen in love with a human? How in the world…”

“Perhaps it points to the power of foresight again…” Esme reminded us.

Jasper’s expression darkened, “Or a spy.”

“All the more reason Edward needs to go out and find any more vampires. It was his pathetic secret they knew about.” Rosalie said.

“Rosie,” Esme warned. “What? Edward is the only one she has concrete evidence on.” Rose was not going to budge, I didn’t need to be a mind reader to see that. “None of you wanted to take care of this last week, and this was the result of our carelessness. You don’t want to destroy this girl, and this would be the next best thing. If Edward leaves now, and leaves no other evidence, Bella will start to doubt the entire incident!

“Anyone she tells will insist she was too drunk at that party. She’s a quiet, awkward little thing, so she won’t fight to prove her point. Eventually, Edward will just be a distant memory to Bella, forgotten about entirely in ten years.”

The thought of Bella forgetting about me tore my body apart with the force and power of a thousand blades. I suppressed a whimper.

“All excellent points, Rosie.” Carlisle smiled at his daughter.

“I already told Bella I’d leave her alone, Rose.” I explained to my sister. “I’ll drop biology, I’ll avoid her at school. I highly doubt she’ll seek me out.”

 _“Not good enough”_ Rose fumed.

Alice turned to me, her eyes pleading. “What if Bella wants to be with you, Edward? Would you stay with her if it’s what she wanted?”

Alice’s words tugged at my heart. I would give Bella anything she wanted without a second thought. Unfortunately, I was well aware of what Bella wanted from me now. “She doesn’t want me anymore, Alice. Anything she could have felt for me was based on deception and lies.” Speaking the words burned my throat worse than the smell of Bella’s blood ever could.

“That’s not true, Edward! My visions are all still intact!” Alice replayed her visions of Bella and me together in her head. All memories, of course; Bella would not want a future with me anymore.

“She was in shock and now she’s asleep. She hasn’t been coherent enough to make her decision.”

“You’re not the physic, Edward! I am! Don’t mansplain my own visions to me!”

Rose struggled to keep her calm and level. “Try to think of what would be best for this girl, Alice.”

“I am! She loves Edward!” Alice exclaimed. “Doesn’t Edward deserve to be with his mate, too?”

Rose stared down Alice with dangerous eyes. “She is not just his mate, she is his singer. If he is with her, and her scent becomes too much for him to handle, she dies. If she pricks her finger or gets a cut with him around, she dies. If he somehow manages perfect control around her and tricks her into spending the rest of her human life with him, she dies.”

“Rosie—“ Esme started.

Rosalie ignored our mother and turned her wrath directly towards me, “If any vampire finds out what she knows, she dies. If she miraculously decides to give up her mortality to become a vampire with you, if something goes wrong during the change, she dies. Any path she’s on will always end in death, and any path that involves you will only bring her death closer.

“Of course Edward deserves to be with his mate,” Rosalie concluded to the group. “But his mate does not deserve such a tragic fate.”

It was difficult to hear all of my suppressed fears spoken out loud by another person. I would have burst into tears if such a thing were possible. I knew Rose and Alice kept fighting about my relationship with Bella. I knew Esme and Jasper were working to calm them down. I knew Carlisle and Emmett were trying to come up with a better plan that would satisfy their beloved, headstrong Rosalie.

It didn’t matter to me what Alice and Rosalie wanted. What I wanted mattered even less—to run to my Bella, scoop her up into my arms and never put her down. The only thing that mattered was what Bella wanted. And Bella was scared and did not want anything to do with me.

“I’ll leave.” I looked down at the table, defeated.

“Edward! You can’t!” Alice wailed.

“Edward, you don’t have to leave. It’s not a major threat, truly. We can handle whatever this is together.” Esme was desperate to keep me here with her. _“It’s not an issue that she knows, you could be with this girl now.”_

Only it was an issue; Bella could not care for a monster.

I took Esme’s small hand in mine, “I want to do this. I want to keep you safe, Mom.”

Excuses and pleas swirled around her mind, but in the end, Esme spoke none of them. “It’s all up to you, Edward. You can come back whenever you want.” _“Please come back.”_

“I know. I will.”

I sat at the dining room table long after Carlisle and Esme calmed down their daughters and ushered them into separate rooms. Eventually, the three couples were happily in their bedrooms upstairs, enjoying soft moments that they’ve had before, and will no doubt have a million more times in their endless lives together. The reality of my decision slowly leaked its way through each cell of my body, replacing any feeling with emptiness. I would never see Bella again. I would never make her smile. I would never find myself caught up in her expressions. I clenched my fist. _I would never hold her hand._

The ‘nevers’ flew more freely, painting a bleak and colorless future for me. I would never hold her. I would never kiss her. I would never marry her. I would never make love to her. I would never get to be with the love of my existence. Because that’s what she was: the love of my existence. Vampires mated for life, and my mate teared up in fear at the sight of me.

I would never be truly happy.

I found Esme laying in her bed with a book in her hand. Her hand flew delicately to her throat, startled by my sudden appearance. Her expression crumpled as she took in the complete and utter desolation painted plainly on my face.

“Oh, Edward,” she murmured and held her arms open for me. I crawled into bed with her. She circled her arms around me and lovingly ran her hand through my hair.

“I love her.” I sobbed miserably.

“I know, baby. I know.” She soothed. Carlisle entered the room after a few moments after his phone call in the other room ended.

“It’ll be alright, son.” His words were kind but meaningless. Nothing would be alright without Bella. He reached his arm under Esme and placed a hand on my shoulder, embracing the two of us. The three of us, now, because Alice had appeared on my other side, and wrapped her arm over my chest as I sobbed tearless sobs into Esme’s hair. Jasper was next, shifting Alice so she laid on his chest. He offered me the greatest gift by not using his gift to calm me, but instead, allowed me to feel the sadness I needed to mourn my lost love. Emmett followed soon after, reaching over Jasper and Alice and placed his hand on my forearm. Rose flitted in last and curled herself into Carlisle’s side.

Their thoughts were all comforting and loving, as they tried to empathize to the best to their abilities. It was difficult for them to imagine being without their mates, their love was so strong and secure. But they understood that it would hurt to alone, and knew I hurt. Between Alice’s comforting thoughts were sentences in Japanese. I ignored whatever she was plotting in a futile attempt to make me feel better and focused on the minds on the others, instead. We stayed like that—entangled on Carlisle and Esme’s bed—for the rest of the night. I imagined a world where the thoughts filled with love and acceptance for me came from Bella’s silent mind.


	12. Casual Kidnapping

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie, this chapter was another one of my favorites. 
> 
> Originally, I was going to have Emmett and Alice convince Bella to do something stupid and reckless to get Edward's attention, which would have been really funny. But then I decided I wanted his chapter to be a bit sweeter, so this was born. 
> 
> These characters and ideas belong to Stephanie Meyer

**B-POV**

It was too early to be awake for a Saturday morning. Too early for any day, really. The sky was still dark outside of my window. Memories of a dream surfaced to the forefront of my mind: a demonic attacker, my golden-eyed savior, Edward’s confession of love.

I guessed the drinks from the party were strong, or I was a lightweight. I couldn’t quite remember how the party ended or how I got home—I could only remember the impossible dream.

I crept down the stairs, still in my pajamas. Charlie was already up and scurrying around the kitchen getting himself and his fishing gear ready for a weekend out on the lake house with Billy. He was surprised to see me at the bottom of the stairs.

“Oh, Bella!” He huffed. “I thought you would be down for the count after your first college party.”

“You know I’ve never been the hardest of partiers, Dad.” Even though I was drunk enough to not remember the journey home… Was I supposed to be hungover? I brushed by him to get to the coffee maker.

“I’m glad you’re up, actually. I noticed the truck is gone, and I didn’t think you would want to wait until tomorrow when I get home to retrieve it.”

“Oh.” My truck was gone?

“Yes, I’m a proud police chief and an even prouder father. Thank you for being smart enough to not drink and drive, Bells.”

“Of—of course, Dad.” I stammered. This was a surprise. I had never seen Charlie so animated about any of my actions before.

“I can take you to the truck on my way to the lake. It would be close to the school, right?”

“Wow. Thanks, Dad. It’s actually still on campus.” I recalled. I had ridden to the party with Angela; perhaps she was the one who brought me home.

“Perfect. Let’s go.”

“Oh, um.” I looked down at the large, tattered sweats I wore to sleep. “I’ll probably stay on campus for a bit and get some work done if I’m already down there. Can you wait a little longer for me to get ready?”

“Course, Bells.” I rushed through my routine, feeling guilty for delaying Charlie when he was doing something so nice for me.

We were in the cruiser heading towards campus just thirty minutes after Charlie’s previously scheduled departure. It was a silent ride. Police Chief Dad didn’t particularly want to know what his little girl was doing at a college party. Even though, from what I remember, I didn’t do much.

My truck was sitting in the commuter lot, right where I left it. I gave Charlie a quick wave of gratitude, fished my backpack out of the truck, and made my way towards the campus library. I sat on the mezzanine level of the library for the rest of the day, unsuccessfully writing my anthropology paper. This was my favorite place to work, because it was in between two of the main floors and could only be reached in an elevator towards the back of the library. Not many students knew about it. I could hide up here alone for hours without the trace of another human.

Today it was a major blessing to be hidden from society, because I was sure I looked like a human disaster. I could not shake my dream about Edward. Jacob’s story must have really fucked up my subconscious—why else would I dream the boy I loved was a vampire?

It took twice the normal amount of time, but I eventually had a decent outline with all of my sources written out. I began to ponder thesis statements, when I felt the presence of something else on the mezzanine with me.

“Isabella Swan?” an attractive soprano voice called out.

I looked up to see the beautiful, Japanese girl from my statistics class: Mary Brandon. She had an ethereal energy about her like she had wandered out of a Fae Forest and ended up at this college campus.

“Y-yes,” I stammered, realizing too late that I was staring.

“I need you to come with me.” She turned and walked fluidly towards the elevator, expecting me to follow. Was she serious? What did The Folk do with humans? I shouldn’t eat their food or drink their wine. Can I tell her my name? Wait, she already knew my name. Was that okay? Fairies were tricky with names.

Against any and all logic I could conjure in my head, I got up from my seat in the library and began to shove my things into my backpack. Why I was doing this, I had no idea. There was something about her golden eyes that quelled my fears and compelled me to follow.

I hurried to catch up to her. For a short little thing, she was fast.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“I’m taking you to Edward Cullen.”

His name hit me like a truck. Edward? Me? Taking?

I swallowed hard. “What?”

“You two need to discuss what happened last night.” She turned around to face me. I barely managed to stop myself before I could slam into her and cause us both the tumble to the ground. “I also need to apologize to you. I am so sorry for what happened last night.” Her eyes were warm like honey and utterly sincere.

“What?” was apparently all I could say now.

“Last night? The fight?” She raised her perfect eyebrows in confusion. “You haven’t repressed it already, have you? You would think after two phycology degrees, I would know if that’s a thing that could happen,” she mused.

“That was real?” I breathed. My mind was reeling at the thought of those horrific events being real; I didn’t even have the mental capacity to dwell on the fact that the young girl before me had two phycology degrees.

Her face fell slightly, “Yes, it was.” She put her hand on my shoulder, “And I am so sorry.”

“Then you—“ I looked her over once more. Her perfect features, her golden eyes, her chilly hand despite the glove she wore. “You’re like Edward,” I whispered.

She smiled sweetly, “Yes, Bella. I’m like Edward. I’m his sister: Alice Cullen. Well, his adopted sister. And his favorite sibling. That’s the most important thing to remember.” She tapped my forehead with her pointer finger.

There was a vampire in my statistics class.

“You’re Alice?! But in class, your name in Mary.”

She giggled attractively, “Well, we can’t always go by our real names, silly. That would be suspicious.”

I followed her out to the library parking lot even though this whole encounter could be classified as _suspicious_. Mary/Alice unlocked a bright yellow sports car and slid inside gracefully. Jacob could probably appreciate it for what it is, but all I could glean from it was that this girl was seriously loaded. I scooted into the sleek interior of the car, feeling more like a Bond girl than a frazzled college student.

“I got you some coffee. Dark roast with light oat milk.” She handed me a warm cup.

I started at it quizzically. She wasn’t a Fairy, but should I be taking drinks from a vampire? Could this bind my soul to hers in any way?

Alice misread my apprehension, “Don’t worry, you’ll love it. It’s going to become your new go-to coffee order. Drink it. All of it.”

I complied immediately. It _was_ good…

I shook my head, amused by her buoyant personality, “You seem awfully sure of yourself.”

“If all goes right, you will see why tomorrow.” She lifted half of her full, red lips into a half smile—an expression that reminded me of Edward, “Now let’s get going.”

She turned out of the library parking lot at an alarming speed. She pushed the car even faster when we got onto the highway. From what I could tell from the blurry signs speeding past us, we were heading the opposite direction of Forks.

“I’m going to need you to put that on,” she gestured to an article of white clothing folded on the seat behind me.

“Excuse me?”

“You have to change into that dress. There is no way you are confessing your love for Edward while wearing _that_.”

I looked down at my outfit: jeans and a yellow sweater. This was a perfectly acceptable outfit; one Edward had seen me in several times and never once voiced any sort of complaint. Why would it be an issue now?

Then something sank in. “I’m doing what now?”

“Isabella,” she sighed, exasperated, “Can I call you Bella? Oh! I can, thank you! Bella! Edward is my brother and I love him dearly, but he can be a rightful idiot. I am not letting him throw in the towel so soon. I have too much at stake here! He refuses to be pushed in the right direction, so I’m going to need you to pull him. And to do that, you are going to have to tell him how you feel. Trust me, he is going to absolutely melt when you do.”

“How do you know how I feel about Edward?”

“You’ll see why tomorrow, if you go through with this.”

Tell Edward how I feel? Last night, I desperately wanted to tell him I loved him. The only thing that stopped me was whatever force held my tongue. Perhaps that force was my own common sense, in a vain attempt to stop me from making a fool out of myself. Besides, Edward’s own declaration of love wasn’t standard, or romantic, or even his own declaration. Why did I have to be the one to bare my heart and soul while wearing Alice’s mystery dress?

I sighed. Women had to do everything themselves.

I took the pile of fabric from the back and inspected it. What on Earth had inspired Alice to choose this? It was a white chiffon dress with long sleeves and an embarrassingly deep V neck trimmed in lace. The dress was full length with a long slit cutting through the bottom trimmed in the same lace as the V-neck. It was very beautiful, and also very, very see through. I balked.

“There’s a bag under the seat, too.” Alice informed me.

Inside the bag was a tiny body suit made out of the same ornate lace that trimmed the dress.

“You have to be kidding me.”

This was beginning to feel like one of those bad dreams where I had to give a presentation in class without any pants on. At least in those dreams I got to wear my own underwear! Alice was insane.

She gauged my reaction. “Relax. The dress is tasteful and elegant. I will never make you look trashy, Bella! Besides, I’ve already seen you wearing the dress. There’s no reason for you to put up a fight you will inevitably lose, trust me.”

“You say that a lot for someone who hasn’t done a damn thing to earn my trust,” I muttered. I stripped my clothes after a slight hesitation. Alice seemed like the sort of mythical creature that got what it wanted. If I didn’t change willingly, she probably had the power to force to wear this gown forever.

“I will one day,” she beamed at me.

I rolled my eyes at her. I pushed my shoulders against the back of the seat and kept my hips elevated to change into her absurd underwear.

“What’s the point of all this?” I asked her.

“Bella. This isn’t some sort of fantasy romance novel,” she snorted daintily. “Moments like these aren’t just going to happen, someone needs to create them. And that someone is me.

“You should be thanking me—praising me really—for creating a magical moment for you to cherish for the rest of eternity!”

Before I could ask what she meant by ‘the rest of eternity’, the car came to a screeching halt. I choked on my seatbelt.

Alice was suddenly opening the passenger door for me. She looked me over one last time and frowned, “For the love of all that is holy, can you please take those off?” she pointed with disdain at my muddy rain boots.

“But I don’t have...”

She cut me off, “It’s fine. The dress looks better without shoes.”

“It’s…”

“I’m going to have you standing on a blanket near a fire. There’s not going to be any wind, and the rain is going to hold off until 11:14 this evening.”

“How do you…” she raised an eyebrow at me. “I know, I know. I’ll see why tomorrow,” I grumbled.

Alice grabbed a duffle bag from the trunk while I finished getting ready.

I watched her as I tied the fragile ribbon around my waist, and the oddest expression crossed her face. Her honey eyes became unfocused, like she had been pulled into a trance. Anxious, I got out of the car to inspect her face up close. Was she having an episode? Did I need to call an ambulance?

Before I could get too panicked, her eyes refocused and she blurted out, “He’ll be traveling west!” I stumbled back in surprise, and Alice caught my arm before I tumbled to the ground. Her grasp was strong and solid under her chic leather gloves. “Looks like we are going to have to take a roundabout route from the east,” she explained to me, like I had a semblance of a clue about what she was talking about.

“You expect me to walk through the woods without any shoes?” I grabbed a handful of the barely-there chiffon against my thigh. “In this?!”

She just snorted and lifted me up in her arms, like I weighed nothing.

“Wha-what are you doing?” Panic flared. What was this inexplicably strong elfin girl going to do with me? And where was Edward?

Then, there was no sound, colors blurred together. My long hair whipped back into my face, like I was riding in a convertible with the top down, in a tornado. The gusts stopped abruptly and I was dumped onto the grass.

Alice almost teleported around me she was moving so quickly, appearing and disappearing as she prepped this mysterious area of the woods for her little show. From the lanterns and fairy lights Alice hung from the trees, it became bright enough for me to take in my new surroundings with awe. Hidden behind the trees was one of the most enchanting places I have ever seen: a meadow. It was perfectly circular. The grass was tall and soft between my toes, purple and white wildflowers speckled the ground. Maybe I had been taken into the world of the Fae by a vampire. There was no way something so heavenly could have developed on our world without assistance.

Alice materialized before me to lay down a white quilt on the ground and encouraged me to stand on it. Beside me, she arranged a fire, it’s flames danced in the soft breeze.

“Alright,” she said, arranging my hair to frame my face just right. “It’s twilight, he will be here in six minutes.”

“Edward?”

“Yes,” she smiled. “Edward. Good luck!”

The slight breeze that marked her departure ruffled my hair and blew the chiffon dress attractively. I stood alone in the meadow for what felt like a very long time. I felt like a total moron. I could not believe I was stupid enough to follow an insane pixie/vampire who didn’t have a proper grasp on reality into the middle of the woods in a garment that could barely be classified as a dress. I was ready to call out for Alice to please save me, dear god, when a tall figure appeared in the meadow. '

“Bella?” Edward’s soft voice was loud compared to the silence of the woods. “What are you doing here? Are you alright?”

I took him in. His velvet voice, his hypnotic eyes, the magnetic force of his charming personality pulling me towards him even now. I could not see the monster he had warned me about in the car last night. I could not feel the fear that should have coursed through my veins at the thought of being alone in the woods with a blood-thirsty vampire. All I could see was him. All I could feel was love.

Tears pooled in my eyes as I realized this powerful truth. “It doesn’t matter,” I whispered.

He stepped closer, “Bella?”

“It doesn’t matter.” I repeated, raising my voice only slightly.

His beautiful eyes took in the tears rolling down my cheeks with alarm, “What doesn’t matter, Bella?”

“It doesn’t matter to me what you are.”

A dozen emotions flickered across his face, too quickly for me to discern any of them.

And I was in his arms. I nuzzled my face into his cold neck, ready and willing to stay there forever.

He held me tight against his chest, his face pressed into my hair. “Bella, are you sure this is what you want?” he whimpered.

“Yes,” I whispered back, clutching myself to him. “I love you.”

Who kissed who then I could not tell. It was all passion and instinct; need and desire. He crumpled to his knees, pulling me down with him onto the blanket. I wrapped my legs around his gorgeous torso to hold my body tight to him as my hands erratically touched every part of him that wasn’t pressed up to me: his strong arms, his soft hair, his chiseled jaw. God, how could he be so beautiful?

I was surprisingly thankful for this ridiculous dress, because it allowed me to feel every line of his body against every line of mine; his cool steel against my warm silk. My breath became hectic, and his lips moved to my neck to allow me to calm my gasps. It didn’t work, for his lips moved lower and lower down the deep cut of the front of my dress. I pulled his mouth backup to mine, and he happily complied.

Our lips moved in perfect synchronization for long while.

“Bella?” he asked against my lips. I pushed my tongue into his mouth to shut him up. His tongue wrestled with mine for a moment or two before it pushed me back.

“Bella,” he whispered again. He attempted to move his lovely mouth away from mine again, but I could not allow it. I bit his lower lip to hold him hostage.

“Please?” At that I reluctantly let him go. I pulled back, panting.

He laughed then, quiet and beautiful, strangely relieved. His hands ran through his mussed hair as he stared into the trees in disbelief. He turned his attention back to me, his perfect face glowing with exuberance.

“I love you, too. Isabella Swan.”


	13. An Angel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty everyone... this is where we really start to stray from the Smeyer vampire lore and make our monsters a little more classic... 
> 
> These characters and ideas all belong to Stephanie Meyer.

**E-POV**

I discovered my happy place.

Back during my family’s first stay in Forks, built a lovely meadow in the middle of the forest with the intent of hiding from the lovesick minds of my family. When we returned, I was pleased to discover it still intact, and far away from any highways or hiking trails, so it remained an oasis. I hoped it would bring me peace one last time before my self-imposed exodus.

When I arrived, an angel was standing in the middle offering the only words my heart wanted to hear. _“I love you, Edward.”_

Alice was a genius. How she came up with the idea to feed Bella the potent vampire herb, Vervain, was beyond me, but it was sheer brilliance nonetheless. When I held Bella in my arms, her blood no longer sang to me. My vampire instincts told the monster to stay away, repelled by the flames the herb threatened. My instincts as a man, however, told me to hold this angel close and never let her go.

Bella and I lay beside the fire in the meadow—my happy place.

We put forth our best efforts to talk, but found our lips touching between each sentence, each lull. I chuckled to myself at one point. When she asked what I found funny, I repeated her words from our first lunch date, “Well at least we know what to do when there’s a lull in conversation.”

I wrapped her up in one of the many blankets Alice provided to protect her from the chill of the air, as well as the chill of my skin. As beautiful as Bella looked in her dress, the sheer fabric and deep cuts were not meant for a November night in Washington. When we got to the final blanket and my darling still shivered, I decided it was time to leave the meadow and get her home.

At first, she protested, “No! I don’t want to leave you.”

“Can’t I go to your house with you?” I asked.

“Oh.” She seemed startled by the simplicity of the solution. “Of course.”

I stood up and fished her out of the pile of blankets. Smiling hugely, I brought her up close to my chest, elated that I was able to hold her without fear.

“Let’s get you home.” And I took off into the trees.

“Wait!” she yelled.

I slammed the breaks, so to speak, nervous that my running upset her. She had witnessed me run this quickly twice by now, and I was sure she ran with Alice to get to the meadow.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

“My truck is still on campus. Can we go get it?”

Easy enough; I flew back to campus. It was late a Saturday night, so Bella’s old Chevy was the only car in the library parking lot. I ran us right up to the front door without fear of being spotted. I helped her up into the cab, grateful that I no longer had to watch her awkwardly heave herself up now that I could touch her. I flew around to the other side of the truck, but it was premature—the door was still locked. Bella ungracefully leaned over to unlock my door, adorably cute and tantalizingly sexy in her dress.

As we pulled out of the parking lot, I was delighted to discover that even her driving was endearing. Everything about her was irresistible, it seemed. My Bella was a safe driver. She kept her hands perfectly at ten-and-two with her back ramrod straight. She bit her cheeks and drew her eyebrows together in concentration, like she was making a stern fishy face. It was precious. She put her entire little body into turning the wheel and tilted to right while she turned right out of the parking lot onto the main road.

We chatted on the show drive home, her stomach growling loudly on more than one occasion.

“We can stop somewhere, if you’d like,” I offered after the fifth grumble. “I can take you on a proper date.”

“Er—um thanks, but I’d rather not.” Before my heart shattered into a million pieces from her rejection, Bella gestured to the sensual dress Alice had put her in, “My normal clothes are still with your sister. I have no shirt, no shoes, and subsequently no service.”

I looked down her body, able to see every delectable curve of her body. I had several things to thank Alice for. “Fair enough.”

It took us an entire hour to complete the twenty-minute drive. I was out of my side of the truck right as we stopped on her small, gravel driveway, flashing towards her to help her down. She accepted my hand gratefully with the most unbelievably beautiful smile on her face, then scurried to the front door, hunching her small shoulders against the cold. She wrenched the door open and immediately set to work.

“Sorry about the mess,” she apologized quickly, fluttering around the main entrance, picking up coats and shoes off of the floor and throwing them into the front closet, “Charlie’s such a slob and I was planning on tidying up today, promise.”

It took a few beats before Bella realized I was no longer beside her. She whirled, her dark hair twirling enchantingly, until she spotted me still on the front steps. Her eyebrows puckered, “What wrong?”

“This is a bit embarrassing; you have to invite me in.”

She stifled a giggle. “Oh. Edward Cullen, welcome to my home.” She took a theatrical bow, “Please come in.”

I snickered; she was such a dork. I met her in the house and thanked her for her hospitality by pulling her in for a kiss. Her lips eagerly met mine, and we stayed in the entryway for several minutes, savoring this pleasure we were forced to put off for far too long.

“Hm… I wonder…” She mused when she pulled away. Her grin turned wicked, “Edward, you are uninvited from this home!”

I was immediately sucked out the front door and spat back on the front steps. The movement was too quick for her to see me stumble from the banishment.

She burst out laughing.

“Ha, ha. Very funny.”

She was bracing her knees for support, still in hysterics.

“Bella…”

“Sorry, sorry. Edward, you can come in,” she said between giggles.

“Stop tormenting the vampire and go get yourself some food.” I kissed her forehead. She smiled to herself sweetly and turned down the hall.

I’d never been inside Bella’s house before, so I did a quick self-guided tour as Bella walked to the kitchen. It was a small house with a basic floor plan. Kitchen to the left of the front door, living room to the right with a bath/laundry room behind the stairs. Up the stairs off the main door, the layout was just as simple: Charlie’s room above the kitchen, Bella’s room above the living room, and a full bath above the laundry. I was back in the kitchen lounging at the table in seconds. She didn’t even notice my absence. She met me at the table with a bowl of cereal; she took a few bites of unappetizing mush before beginning the interrogation.

“Can you turn into a bat?”

“Thankfully, no.”

“Can you see yourself in mirrors?’

“Thankfully, yes.”

“How can you be in the sun?” she asked. I took off the ring I always wore on the right hand and offered it to her. She inspected it closely, looking for something she would not find. It was just a normal ring, the power it welded was hidden.

“Believe it or not, it’s relatively new for us. Carlisle saved the life of a witch’s daughter in the Sixties. As a token of her gratitude, she blessed several lapis lazuli gemstones and the enchantment allows us to walk freely in the day. This is a Daylight Amulet.”

Her mouth dropped open in surprise. “What did you do before you had this?”

“We stayed in dark, rainy places, but mostly only came out at night. Even in a place as dark as Forks, you never know when there will be a random break in the clouds.”

“What would happen in the sun?”

“We would burn.” She considered all of that while taking a few more bites of cereal.

“So, if I were to keep this ring, you would have to stay here forever?”

I smiled. “I could still leave at night,” I reminded her. “But don’t you fret, you already have me prisoner in the most permanent way.” She allowed herself a gentle smile before she fired off more questions.

“Wooden stake through the heart?”

“Would kill me.”

“Religious symbols?”

“If you’re looking for the most exciting way to kill me, that would be to tear me apart and burn the pieces.”

“Aversion to garlic?”

“Not any more than I am to any human food. It all lost its appeal.”

“Sleeping in coffin.”

“We don’t sleep.”

“Wanna make out?” The idea of this question being thrown at me at the same pace as the others tickled me, and I laughed at my beautiful, absurd girlfriend.

“Of course, sweetheart.” Unable to control myself, I scooped her from her seat and flew the two of us up to her bedroom. I laid her gently on her twin bed and settled myself next to her. I leaned in to begin the frenzy, but she leaned away in response. She placed a tiny hand on my chest and I let her push me down, so I was laying on the bed. She straddled my torso, tantalizing and hot.

“May ?” She asked.

I nodded eagerly, throughly enjoying the fact I couldn’t read her thoughts, and couldn’t see what direction this was going. Suspense was an incredible turn-on.

But she slipped of the bed and headed towards the door. She jokingly draped herself on the doorframe of her bedroom, it would have been silly if she didn’t actually look enchantingly sexy in the sheer, white dress. “Let me slip into something more comfortable,” she whispered seductively, before she turned and skipped down the hall.

Twenty minutes later she appeared back in the doorway, hair wet from her shower and dressed in a large pair of sweats. I laughed. She went all out of the “comfortable” aspect or her apparel. She returned to the bed and I eagerly took her in my arms,

“My, Isabella, you know just what a man wants.” I kissed her ardently.

I ran both hands up her body now clad in bulky cotton—but no less sensual than the chiffon dress she wore earlier—starting at her tiny thighs, then her slender waist, stopping at the curves of her chest. She shivered in response. Bella’s arms were around my neck, her fingers digging into the nape of my neck as she kissed me back, warmly and passionately. Her chest heaved under my touch, and her warmth enveloped me, making me feel more human than I ever had before.

We explored each other’s bodies for most of the evening; longer than we were out in the meadow. Eventually, I could sense her fatigue. Her kisses slowed and softened. The sweet nothings she whispered shifted into unintelligible murmurs. Even though _I_ would never tire, my perfect, human love needed to sleep.

I wasn’t entirely sure of the protocol in this situation. Surely, I couldn’t leave her in the middle of the night to have her wake up in the morning alone. That would be rude. I also highly doubted she wanted me to watch her as she slept. She was self-conscious enough as it is when she was in full control of her actions.

 _Well, as in control of her actions as my little klutz ever really is,_ I thought ruefully and kissed her eyelid. She would be embarrassed if she knew I watched her during her most vulnerable state. I could leave and come back in the morning, but if she awoke in the middle of the night, she would think I ditched her!

I decided that the latter was the most tolerable option. If she noticed my absence, I would explain myself in the morning and ask for her forgiveness. I would make her breakfast as an apology.

Now, I needed to get home and figure out how to cook a human breakfast.

Once Bella was fully asleep, I began to untangle myself from her hold, so I could head home for a brief period. It took over an hour of careful coaxing, but I eventually broke free without waking her. Just as I was about to leave, my name escaped the lips of my sweet girl. At first, I thought she caught me leaving, but I turned and saw her still fully asleep. She said my name again, and I knelt beside her small twin bed.

“Yes, my love?” I asked her sleeping form.

“I love you,” she sighed.

I almost lost it. Bella’s sleep-talking was so heartrendingly adorable and innocently sweet that I felt my stone heart began to melt. I loved this girl. I loved this fragile, silly, sweet human girl with ever cell of my being.

“I love you, too.”

I flew home, my heart full of love. Carlisle would be at work at this hour, and Alice and Jasper had date night every Saturday night, but I hoped Esme would be home. She was the one I wanted to share my joy with, anyway. I burst through the front door with a huge grin on my face. Esme was on the couch in the middle of watching something, startled at my sudden appearance. This mood was a complete one-eighty from the last time she saw me.

“Oh, Edward,“ Esme started. I grabbed the remote, muted her show, and switched on the stereo to Esme’s favorite playlist. Little Richard blasted over the speaker, _“It’s Saturday night and I just got paid.”_

I grabbed Esme from the couch and flipped her over my shoulder. Esme and I had fallen in love with dancing in the Fifty’s. It was the only era in which Esme and I were the ones to frequent clubs – back in the day when clubs had big bands and chandeliers rather than DJs and Strobe lights. While Carlisle had the night shift at the hospital, and all of my siblings were sharing tender moments, Esme and I would go out almost every night. We had perfected routines for all the music styles: the Rock’n’Roll, the Jive, the Jitterbug…

Esme immediately recognized the start to one of our favorite Swing routines and held onto my hand as she landed lightly behind me. She extended out and rocked back to me and I took her other hand. I squatted down so she could lightly step up onto my right knee and hop between my legs, her back to my front, still holding hands down low. I lifted her up and over my head and Esme kicked her legs out to either side to avoid my shoulders. She landed behind me again and I pulled her back to me.

She laughed, _“I’m guessing Alice’s plan went well?”_ We fell into a simpler rhythm, still keeping time with Little Richie.

I laughed with her, “You knew about that?”

Emmett and Rosalie appeared to see what all the hubbub was. I grabbed Rose’s hands and dragged her into the middle of the living room floor. I spun us around faster and faster—which I knew she hated—and would dramatically drop to the floor to force her to hold me up as we spun—which she also hated. Then, I twirled her in and out a few times, before I cradled her up in my arms. I flung her onto my back and spun her around there as well. When her hair was sufficiently mussed, I put her back on her feet and rocked us back and forth to the music.

Rosalie smiled despite herself, “What’s up with you?” she asked me.

Emmett hooted and clapped his hands “Ow, he’s doll dizzy, baby!”

Then Emmett grabbed _me_ and spun me around his waist like a basketball. I landed and dove right back towards him and he lifted me into the air with one hand and tossed me. The song ended, and my favorite Elvis song began. Esme danced towards me again and I took her into my arms.

“Tell me about Bella,” Esme pleaded.

“What would you like to know?”

“Is she pretty?”

“Beautiful.”

“Is she kind?”

“Her soul is more beautiful than her face.”

“Is the smart?”

“Well, she is with me.”

“So that’s a no!” Emmett called from behind, swaying with a snickering Rosalie.

And then Elvis sang _“When she kissed me, I had to fall in love”_ and the memories of my magical kisses with Bella brought the goofiest grin to my face.

Esme understood the look across my face immediately. Her eyes widened in elation, “You could kiss her?” she gasped.

“Mother, a gentleman does not kiss and tell.” I chided and spun her towards Emmett, who handed me Rosalie again.

 _“I imagine the next time I see this unfortunate girl, she’ll be writhing in pain from her transformation?”_ Rose thought at me maliciously.

“I believe that would be up to Bella.”

Shock burst through Rosalie’s thoughts, _“You’re going to let her choose?”_

I lowered Rosalie into a low dip, “Of course, Rose. I love her.”

I pulled Rosalie back up into my embrace. Emmett and Esme were still dancing; Emmett was telling her a long joke that would end with, “There was no punch line.”

_“And if she decides to stay human?”_

“Then she will stay human.”

“Simple as that?” she said sarcastically.

“Well I’m sure it won’t be simple. I just want to do whatever it takes to make her happy.”

Rosalie couldn’t believe her ears. _“Then may I offer some advice?”_

“Certainly.” Emmett got to the end of his joke, and Esme howled with laughter.

_“Don’t be the one to bring up the transformation. Plan A should be keeping her human, Plan B will be turning her.”_

I frowned at that, “I don’t want to lie to her, Rose.”

_“You won’t have to lie. If she asks, you tell her the truth. However, if you bring it up, she might think it’s what you want and end up turning just to make you happy. If you truly want it to be her choice, you cannot say anything on the matter.”_

I wasn’t entirely convinced, but what Rosalie was saying did make sense in a way. Before I could say anything else to Rosalie, Alice appeared at the back door.

“I saw we were having a dance party!” she squealed. Jasper followed in after his wife.

“Alice, you manipulative genius!” I darted over to her brought her up into the largest bear hug I could manage.

“Thank you, thank you!” I repeated. “You can have anything you want from me for the rest of our lives. Name it, and it’s yours.”

Who knew how long she had this particular list prepared, but she rattled off her demands immediately, “I want your full back-up and support in any argument I’m in for the rest of time, I want the entire Prada fall/winter ready-to-wear collection, and I want you to throw away that zoot suit.” She shook her head at me, “They’re never coming back, Edward.”

“Done.” I took Alice’s hands and spun us around to the music a few times. Alice enjoyed sillier dancing, so I raised her up in the air like the perfect ballerina she was, and she gripped my shoulders before she swung down and wrapped her legs around my waist. I held her waist as she dangled down, giggling while we twirled and twirled.

“How did you get her to the meadow?” I asked so I could see the events through her memory.

“Did the girl just followed a stranger to a car?” Rosalie asked.

“Well…” Alice admitted. “She didn’t have the Vervain in her system yet.”

Emmett laughed, “You compelled the poor girl?”

“What?”

She shrugged, still upside-down in my arms, “I didn’t make her do anything she wouldn’t want to do.” Alice grabbed onto my forearms and flipped herself onto the ground. “Oh, don’t give me that holier-than-thou look, Edward. I saw you make the decision to compel her the day of that car accident.”

Fuck. “That was for the good of the family.”

“So was this.” She crossed her arms and closed her eyes. “Bella’s part of the family now, and it was for her own good. It doesn’t matter anymore, because with the Vervain, she’ll won’t be able to be compelled anymore.”

“What made you think of Vervain?” I asked.

“I couldn’t just let you give up Edward. I know it was hard for you to be around her, so I looked up lore on vampire repellent. Most of the stuff I found was stupid, like bulbs of garlic.” She snorted. “Finally, I saw that some humans would bathe in Vervain to keep vampires away and I thought, ‘hey! Vervain can actually hurt me!’ and looked up more tricks using Vervain, because I couldn’t see if I would be able to convince Bella to get in a bathtub around me, and if I could get her in a bathtub around me she probably wouldn’t want to be in a relationship with you. But, honestly, she might, who am I to judge, people can love anyone they want…”

“Holy shit, Alice.” Emmett complained, “Get to the point”

“Anyway! I saw one trick were a human steeped their Vervain into their tea. So, I took some from Esme’s greenhouse and brewed it into some coffee, since Bella is a coffee-drinker.”

She handed me a small metal container, “The lore says she will need to digest Vervain every three days to keep herself protected.”

I gratefully took the container. “Thank you again, Alice.”

She beamed, “Of course! Besides, now she’ll be protected from the whole family! No vampire is going to want to drink that girl’s blood!”

I looked over at Esme and smiled, “She’ll be safe here.” Esme’s eyes softened, and she flashed to my side and offered me a big hug.

“Can I bring Bella here tomorrow?” I asked.

“Oh, Edward. I would love that.” Esme squeezed harder.

“Me too!” Alice seconded.

“I’ll bring her here around 11.” I said to Esme.

Alice pointed to a table in the hallway, “Esme, you might want to put that vase somewhere else.”

Her eyes became unfocused for a brief moment, and Alice and I watched Bella trip over the runner in the kitchen. We winced simultaneously. “Actually, let’s clear out all those dishes you brought over from the Mediterranean from the kitchen.”

Esme nodded seriously and the two of them flitted off.

I rolled my eyes. I was bringing my human girlfriend to the house, not a deranged bull. Bella wasn’t that destructive.

Jasper and I silently addressed each other from across the room. I threw my hands up, exasperated and shrugged as if to say: _women, right?_

Jasper met my expression for a moment and considered the things he knew about my Bella. Then, without breaking eye contact, he called towards the kitchen, “Esme I’m going to put the white upholstered side chairs in your room.”

“Thank you, dear.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The songs Edward and Esme dance to are Rip It Up and Such a Night


	14. The Fam Bam

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a ball writing this chapter. This is where I begin to really change the Cullen's backstories and make their lives a little more tolerable in my humble opinion. 
> 
> Remember that rewrite I talked about wayyyy back in chapter 2? This chapter contains the very last of it. Some of this dialogue is taken straight from Twilight Ch. 14 - and now Midnight Sun Ch. 18 
> 
> These characters and ideas all belong to Stephanie Meyer

**B-POV**

I awoke to the smell of freshly brewed coffee. Strange. Charlie didn’t make coffee in the morning, he always bought a cup at the 7/11 on his way through time. We had a coffee pot was because it was my Christmas present my first year in Forks. Suspicious, I slipped out of bed and tiptoed down the stairs. The sneaking became futile when I slipped on the fourth step and yelped. I braced myself to tumble down the steps, but instead, I found myself nestled in cool, marble arms.

“Bella?” Edward’s velvet voice was anxious. “Are you alright?”

“You stayed,” I marveled.

He smiled and kissed my hair, “But of course.” He carried me down the steps and towards the kitchen at a slow, human pace. He set me down at the table, where a mug of coffee and a plate of scrambled eggs were waiting for me. I looked up to thank him, but he wasn’t looking at me. His gaze was out the back window, looking into the trees like they held all the answers to the questions on God’s green earth.

“I have a small confession to make.”

“Is it about you learning to cook eggs?” I took a sip of coffee. For someone who doesn’t drink anything but blood, Edward made a damn good cup of coffee. Smooth, bold with a pleasant almost citrusy aftertaste. It was better than anything I could make with that old pot.

“It’s about the coffee,” he winced.

I balked. He pulled out a small metal container and handed it to me. I looked inside to see small, dried leaves. They smelled slightly lemony.

“Did you poison me?”

“What?” His eyes widened, “God, no. Dear god, no.” He was around the table and kneeling at my side in a blur. “I’m so sorry I gave that impression. Isabella, I swear I would never, ever hurt you.” His golden eyes swirled with candor.

I swallowed loudly, “So what is this?”

He gently plucked the container from my hand again. “This, my love, is an herb called Vervain. If a vampire makes physical contact with this stuff in any form, it will burn them. If ingested, it will cause them to become feverish and weak. It is one of our greatest weaknesses.”

“So, what does this have to do with my coffee?”

He closed his eyes and looked down, ashamed. “I have another, larger confession to make.”

“Oh no.”

“Along with being the love of my life, you are _mia cantante_ —my singer. Your blood sings to me stronger than louder than any human blood before.”

I gulped. “What does that mean?”

“Well, nothing now sweetheart, because I could never hurt you, but in the past, it made it quite difficult to be around you.” He smiled shyly.

I thought of the first day of class and his bizarre aggression, the careful space he always kept between us, the fear in his eyes after my attempt to kiss him. Common sense told me I should feel terrified, terrified that he could have easily taken my life at any of those moments. Instead I was relieved to finally understand.

“But, if you ingest this herb,” he continued, “your blood is easier for me to be around. It won’t hurt you, love, but my vampire instincts will shy away from you.”

“Will it hurt you?” I asked.

He reached up and stroked my cheek with the softest of touches, “No, it won’t. But even if it did, I would take that risk. I would risk anything to be able to do this.” He searched my eyes for consent, and after he found it, he pressed his lips to mine. I breathed in the scent of him, knowing how much I was risking just for kisses like these. I would risk even more. I would throw everything away for one more kiss.

He pulled away and stood. His fingers tangled themselves into my already tangled hair.

“So, I just need to make sure I eat some of this stuff every day? And it will help you?”

He nodded, “I put it in the coffee. If it makes you feel better, you can think of it helping yourself stay safe from vampires.”

I leaned my head back into his hand, “I think the idea of helping you, more.”

“Okay, fine you little martyr. It’s to help me. I have one more thing I need you to do for me, sweetheart.”

“Anything.”

He paused for a moment, choosing his words carefully. “I need you to understand that you are in control of this relationship. If anything I do scares you or makes you uncomfortable, you must tell me at once. It is important to me that you always feel safe being romantically involved with a vampire.”

I considered what he was asking. I always figured, being me, I would have to make some major compromises in order to find love. And if I was being perfectly honest, an immortal monster of the night beat a man-baby with internalized misogyny and a neck beard every day of the week. At least the monster was easier on the eyes. I nodded.

“Promise?” he pressed.

“I promise.”

He smiled and brushed his thumb across my bottom lip, “With that out of the way, what would you say to meeting my family today? Remember, you’re in control.”

I perked up at the thought; I heard so much about his family from our many meals together, I would love to put faces to the names. “I would love that!”

“Alright my darling, you get ready.” I hurried up the stairs and quickly changed into the first outfit my hands touched. Soon, I was snuggled beside Edward on the bench of the truck as he drove through town. I wondered where Edward lived the day he told me he owned a house in Forks. I would never admit to Edward that I would scan the drives of homes I passed, searching for his pretty, black car. I couldn’t imagine him living in any humdrum house like me—he belonged in a sleek modern mansion, or perhaps a gothic castle.

After a long trek thought the forests of Forks, he turned us onto a hidden driveway. Several minutes passed before we got to the end of the drive. Nestled among the trees next to a river, was Edward’s home. It was immaculate—it could have been designed Frank Lloyd Wright or Mies van der Rohe. It was classy, artful, elegant, daring… like Edward himself.

My mouth fell open. Edward laughed at my moronic reaction.

“Come, my love,” and he pulled me out of the driver’s side behind him.

“Oh no.” Edward muttered to himself when we were almost at the front door.

“What?” I asked, anxious. What could go wrong at a house full of vampires?

He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, “I should have known they would go too far.” He wound his arm around my waist and pulled me away from the front door and across the wrap-around porch. Around back, industrial metal doors opened up to the Cullen’s dreamy indoor-outdoor kitchen, complete with black herringbone flooring, and deep teal cabinets. I gawked at the sleek, modern space, accented with tastefully glamorous art-deco furnishings. Whoever designed this had an incredible vision and perfect follow-through.

“Mom, Dad,” Edward’s voice pulled me from the reverie, “this is Bella.”

I was too busy scanning the room to notice three pairs of stunningly beautiful vampires standing behind a huge kitchen island covered in delectable looking treats.

“Welcome, Bella,” The male vampire addressed me. “I am Edward’s adoptive father.” He kept his distance, I assumed, to not scare me.

“Hello, Doctor Cullen.” I waved awkwardly.

“Please, call me Carlisle.” The woman beside him did not follow her husband’s example and walked around the massive island towards me. She pulled me from Edward’s arms into an embrace of her own. “I’m Esme, his mother. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

I tentatively put my arms around her. “Thank you. I’m glad to meet you, as well.”

She gave me another gentle squeeze and released me but did not return me to Edward. She took me by the arm and led me towards the immaculate buffet.

“Are you expecting company?” I asked. Certainly, this massive array was not meant for just me. “I’m sorry—Edward didn’t mention…”

“No dear, it’s all for you. I jump at any opportunity to use my kitchen!”

I looked over all the desserts, they seemed to have a common theme… “Strawberries?” I asked.

Esme nodded, “Yes, I heard you liked them.”

I looked back at Edward, and he shrugged, too innocently. I narrowed my eyes at him but turned back to Esme with a warm smile. “Thank you. I can’t believe…”

She stopped me before I could finish, “Truly, it was nothing. Please, sit with us.”

I nodded, reeling at her kindness and generosity. Renee would not have shut up about one dessert she made for a whole week, constantly needing praise and gratitude for performing an otherwise basic task. Esme and Carlisle both grabbed a tiered serving plate and walked towards a cozy dining nook. Edward guided me to the table and flitted away before he sat beside me. Esme arranged several pastries neatly on plate and placed it in front of me. Edward return to the table with a teacup and kettle.

“Thank you, baby.” Esme said to Edward.

He rolled his eyes like a normal embarrassed son would, “Mom.”

She giggled. Esme’s laugh was as lovely as Edward’s. Both Edward and Carlisle lit up at the sound.

“Tell us about yourself, dear,” Esme asked as soon as I took a bite of strawberry scone.

“Um,” I hesitated. I never knew what to say about myself around regular, boring humans, let alone supernatural vampires. “What would you like to know?”

“Where are you from?” Carlisle started.

“All over. My mother skipped around various cities, towing me along as she went. Jacksonville, Atlanta, and Charlotte were the most recent. We were probably in Phoenix the longest.”

He nodded, “Where were you before you started school?”

“Here, actually.” Surprise flashed across both of their attractive faces, “I moved to Forks my junior year of high school to live with my father.”

Carlisle was about to ask something, but then in the corner of my eye I saw Edward turn his head to left ever so slightly. I wondered if it was gesture they had between them to communicate silently with Edward’s ability. What did Edward not want Carlisle to ask me?

Esme changed the subject, “What do you major in?”

“English.”

She clasped her hands together and cooed, “Lovely! Who’s your favorite author?”

“Austen.”

Esme’s eyes brightened, “A woman after my own heart; are you a hopeless romantic as well?”

“’Love is life. And Life hath immortality.’” I quoted tentatively in response.

Esme laughed her golden laugh once more, “Oh Edward, I like her.”

Edward laughed with his mother and placed his arm around my shoulders, “As do I.”

I chatted with Edward’s parents more about college and classes and books. As we talked I couldn’t stop my eyes from wandering around the room. The furnishing and décor were normal enough, but there was still something magical about being in here, other than drinking tea with three vampires. The abundance of natural light streaming in extended an ethereal detail to the space.

Esme eventually addressed my preoccupation, “Do you have any questions about the house?”

“I’m just genuinely curious, how all of this,” I gestured around our light, lovely home, “came to be. Are there thousands of vampire families just like yours across the world, right under our noses?”

Carlisle laughed, “No, we are a unique group. We’ve only ever found one other coven like ourselves – they live in Alaska, now. A coven of vegetarian vampire women—we refer to them as the Denali gang because Edward lived with them for a while in Denali up in Alaska.”

Edward? Living alone with four gorgeous vampire women? “Did he, now?” I asked when my mouth was empty.

Carlisle realized his blunder and changed the subject quickly, “But other than that, no we haven’t found another group who found a conscience, as we call it. Most others are nomads, traveling around the world solo or in pairs.” “Gaining a conscience,” I repeated after a bite of teacake, “Is that what you call feeding animals instead of people? Is that why you all came together, because you all ate animals?”

“No,” Edward answered, “Carlisle created each and every one of us. Not many of us have the restraint necessary to accomplish it, but Carlisle has always been the most humane, the most compassionate of us…I don’t think you could find his equal throughout all of history.”

Esme looked at her true love, “I couldn’t agree more.”

“Edward is too kind,” Carlisle shook his head. “I merely acted out of loneliness. I found Edward in the summer of 1918, in the hospital I worked for at the time.”

Edward nodded, “I was twenty and dying of the Spanish Influenza.”

I choked on my scone. Edward’s hand moved to my lower back, rubbing in tiny circles.

“Edward wasn’t thrilled about the change.” Carlisle continued.

“Well of course. You gave me a steel body with speed and strength beyond my wildest imagination, and then told me I couldn’t kick German ass in the war.” Edward looked at me, “I would have eaten them all,” he mocked with air quotes.

I giggled, Esme and Carlisle joined in.

Carlisle waved off his son, “The war was over by the time you were coherent, anyway.”

“I was next,” Esme took both of Carlisle’s hands on the table. “He found me a few months later; I was thirty-four. Carlisle turned me after an accident I was involved in. We’ve been inseparable ever since.”

“Carlisle brought Rosalie into our family next,” Edward continued. “I believe you saw her the first day of school. Tall, blonde...”

I nodded, remembering, “Incredibly gorgeous.”

He shook his head at my dazed expression. “He was hoping she would be to me what Esme was to him,” Edward scoffed.

Carlisle laughed and threw his hands up, “She was the prettiest girl in the city! You two were always staring at each other at parties.”

“Glaring.” Edward corrected his father, “We were always _glaring_ at each other at parties. I at her, for the constant sexual thoughts about her I had to endure from the men around her, and her at me because I was glaring for seemingly no reason.” E

sme laughed along with him, and lowered Carlisle’s hand by his wrist, “I knew it wasn’t going to work, but Carlisle was so proud to have saved the infamous and most beautiful Rosalie Hale and gift her to our son.” She shook her head in embarrassment.

“As if all Rosalie wanted was another man telling her how to live her life.” Edward joked.

“Hey, in my time…” Carlisle started, but Esme and Edward simultaneously groaned. The three laughed.

Esme turned to me, “You can take the man out of the seventeenth century, but you can’t take the seventeenth century out of the man.”

“It was only two years after that when Rosalie found her husband, Emmett.” Edward continued. “We were in Appalachia at the time—and she found him in the woods getting mauled by a bear. She carried him back to Carlisle, more than a hundred miles, afraid she wouldn’t be able to do it herself.”

Esme sighed, “And what a gift they have both been to us. Rosalie with her blazing determination, and Emmett with his jovial humor.”

“Alice and her husband?” I queried.

“Alice and Jasper are two very rare creatures.” Esme responded.

Carlisle finished her thought, “They developed a conscience on their own, without my guidance. Jasper was a slave in a Plantation house and forced to fight on the Confederate side of the Civil War. From there, he was turned by a woman in the Vampire Wars that were happening in the South. He stayed with that… family for quite some time. He eventually became depressed, and he wandered on his own. Alice found him, like Edward, she has certain gifts above and beyond the norm for our kind.”

“Really?” I interrupted, “She can read minds, like Edward?”

Carlisle shook his head, “She knows other things. She sees things—things that might happen, things that are coming.”

Her strange behavior from last night suddenly made sense. Alice didn’t just guess that my new coffee order would be dark roast with light oat milk, she saw that that’s what it would become. Incredible.

“And Alice came from another family, like Jasper?” I asked.

“No, and that is a mystery,” Esme explained, “Poor dear doesn’t remember her human life at all. She doesn’t know who created her. She awoke alone.”

Carlisle continued the sad tale, “Whoever made her walked away, and none of us understand why, or how, he could. If she hadn’t had that other sense, if she hadn’t seen Jasper and me and known that she needed to find us, she probably would have turned into a total savage.”

“Speaking of Alice,” Edward interrupted, “I believe she is about to burst from impatience.” He turned to me, “Are you ready to meet my siblings?”

I nodded.

Esme and Carlisle stood up fluidly with me, “Thank you for joining us, Bella.” Carlisle said, “I hope to have many more of these meals with you.”

“I hope so as well, thank you for this, Esme.”

“I’ll pack up the rest for you.”

Edward put his arm around my waist and led me toward another room of the house. He lifted my feet off the ground completely when he stepped over the runner in the kitchen, and I decided not to ask about the strange custom.

Alice was bringing me in for a hug before I could grasp what room I was in now. “Oh Bella! You did it! I am so proud of you!”

I laughed, “It was all you, Alice.”

“I know.” She released me from her embrace and pulled me into the room, which I could now see was a large, open living room. “I want you to meet my husband,” she pulled me over to a familiar face sitting on the couch.

“Peter Whitlock?”

He smiled and waved at me, “It’s Jasper Cullen, here.”

Alice sat and threw her arms around him, “He’s my husband! We are going to have seven wonderful double dates in the next few months!”

“We have anthropology together.” I said to Jasper, still stunned.

“I know,” he nodded and threw Edward a knowing look. “I watched Lauren Mallory’s gum fall out of her mouth and into your hair.” I turned bright red at the memory.

Jasper and Alice were not the only familiar faces in the Cullen household. Standing in front of their massive fireplace, next to the beautiful blonde that could only be Rosalie, was Emmett Mason from my English class.

Edward noticed my bewildered expression and walked us towards the couple, “I believe you have already met Emmett, as well.”

“The one and only,” Emmett grinned hugely at me. I had the feeling Emmett was unable to do anything at a small scale.

“Wow, so you really were there the night Edward saved me. “

“I understand how you could mistake me for a dream,” he took my hand and kissed it. “Speaking of which, this enchanting dream of a woman is my wife, Rosalie.”

She didn’t make a move to embrace me or take my hand, “Charmed.”

I turned to Edward, “Why don’t you go by a different name at school, too?”

Rosalie answered me, “Because Edward’s the princess of the household.”

“Excuse me, this is the first time I’ve gone by my real name in almost a hundred years and you know it.” Edward crossed his arms defensively, “If I’m not mistaken, you were the one who forged my documents the last time, so I had to apply to jobs as Vladimir LaCount.”

Edward’s siblings burst out laughing.

Emmett hooted louder than the rest, “That was so good, baby.”

“Yeah,” Edward agreed sarcastically. “I had to suffer through so many vampire jokes. I deserve my real name this time around.”

“You had a job before this?” I asked.

Jasper nodded. “We all did. You seem surprised at this.” he noted.

“I guess I am, I just didn’t realize you had several lifetimes before we met while I’ve only had the one. I know Carlisle is a doctor, do you all have professions as well?”

Rosalie raised her hand, “I switch between a children’s physician and a mechanic”

“Lumberjack, carpenter, underwater welder,” Emmett listed off his fingers.

Jasper put his arm around Alice and squeezed her into his side, “I follow around this crazy goober, and do whatever is open in the area. I just tried to be a Sous Chef. It didn’t end well.”

Alice nuzzled her head into Jasper’s neck, “We were in South Korea. I was a personal assistant for some rich CEO’s wife. Doing her shopping, planning her parties. It was great.”

“W-o-w” I drew out the word. “If you could be _there_ doing _that_ , why are you here?”

She shrugged, “We miss each other after a while. Going to university together every so often is like a little reunion.”

Edward sat in a large armchair and pulled me into his lap. “You don’t always stay together?” I asked.

“Only for brief periods of time.” Rosalie said.

“Edward, where were you?” “I was in Ireland. I lived above a pub.”

“And what was Vlad Lacount doing?” I asked, earning a laugh from his siblings.

“Vlad was working as a songwriter for a small record label. After seven years, when I should have been starting to age, I told them I was moving to America. Surprisingly, they wanted to keep me on staff, so I send over songs from here.”

“And you still write songs? Even now?” I nodded, “Up until much recently”—he wrapped his arms around me and gave me a gentle squeeze—“my songs have been quite dismal. The team will be quite surprised at the gooey romance I’ll be sending over in a few weeks. I suppose I should tell the truth: that Vladamir fell in love with the most beautiful woman.” He pressed his lips to my cheek and shook his face back and forth quickly, giving me a sloppy, wet kiss.

I dramatically wiped my face and mumbled, “Ew.”

Esme and Carlisle entered the room hand-in-hand. “Oh, Edward you should play for her!” his mother called.

“She’s already seen me play.” Edward replied.

“Not recently,” I chirped, eager to see him play again.

Edward kissed my hair, “Only for you,” he murmured. He placed me on the chair and sauntered towards the grand piano in the room at a human pace.

Edward began to play a simple cord and then dove into the music. His hand fluttered over the keys, and then, much to my delight, he began to sing.

Esme perched on one of the arms of the chair I was sitting in. “This is one of my favorites.” She whispered to me. “This song about the only thing he remembers about his human mother. The chorus is the words of advice she gave him as a boy.”

He played through the piece, and was ready to leave the bench, until Alice appeared next to him. “Do the one with the birds!” she encouraged.

Edward laughed, “You just want me to do that one so you can do the _oohs_.”

“It’s true!” Alice flashed across the room, her face was suddenly right next to mine and she whispered, “I love to _ooh,_ ” and flew back to Edward’s piano in a second.

“Alright, alright.” Edward disappeared from the piano bench and was back in it with a banjo before I could count one Mississippi.

“Edward, how many instruments do you know how to play?” I asked.

He shrugged nonchalantly, tuning the banjo.

Jasper answered for him, “All of them. He gets really into the marimba,” and did a little shimmy; I giggled.

While Edward played his song, Alice whirled around him, singing harmonies and ooh-ing and ahh-ing with the music. Aside from Esme beside me, the rest of his family wasn’t paying much attention to their brother’s playing. Emmett and Rosalie were tending to their own sides of the massive fireplace, seeing whose would light first. Jasper and Carlisle were on the couch happily chatting.

Edward and Alice seemed to be drawn in battle, each willing the other into a faster tempo. Eyes locked, Alice sang through her harmonies quickly, and Edward followed along on his banjo. Faster and faster they went, until Edward’s hands were almost invisible, they were strumming so quickly.

And then, when they couldn’t possibly go any faster, Edward abruptly turned to the piano beside him and quickly slid his hand across the keys. Alice squealed in delight from her victory and Edward sang through the chorus one last time in his original tempo on the piano.

The day continued on like this: Edward sitting at the piano bench, his family calling out requests. More often than not, Edward would disappear and reappear with a different instrument. I didn’t think I could love Edward any more. But, seeing him with his family, his already glorious face emanating pure joy, I fell. Hard.

There was nothing in this world I wanted more than him; than _this_. I imagined myself with him in his tiny Irish flat, or in a townhouse in Venice, or in a cave in the Amazon, for all I cared. I could carefully cultivate one craft until I perfected it, like Edward and Carlisle, or I could dabble in hundreds of things for years, like Jasper. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Edward, and now the possibility of hundreds of lifetimes began to blossom before me. He looked across the room at me and smiled so brightly—so exuberantly—I couldn’t help but hope that he felt the same way about me.


	15. Honeymoon Stage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These characters and ideas all belong to Stephanie Meyer

**E-POV**

School was a harsh reality after the heavenly weekend with my perfect girlfriend.

Much to my dismay, Bella’s first classes all started after mine in the morning. I reluctantly left her bed before she awoke, placing a gentle kiss on her delicate forehead before running back to my house to drive with my siblings to school. Once at home, I skipped the front door and scaled the side of the house straight up to my room to shower and change for the day.

I was anxious to get to school, figuring the faster I could get through my morning classes, the faster I could get to Bella. However, it seemed my siblings were too busy being weird to get to school on time. On the way to the garage, I spotted Alice perched in a tree like a cat, and Emmett circling the tree below like the dog trying to chase her.

Alice and Emmett had been playing tag for the past fifteen years or so, and Emmett had been “It” for fourteen of those years. The only reason Alice was “It” was because she started as “It” and promptly moved to Venice with Jasper for a year. With cars and building off-limits, Emmett had not been able to touch Alice after all of this time.

“He thinks he’ll be able to catch me by making a last-minute decision,” Alice called out to me from her perch, “But the big dummy doesn’t realize I can see him decide to make a last-minute decision!”

 _Stupid, smug little psychic,_ Emmett growled in his head.

“So, Edward,” Alice started. She jumped on the branch she stood on, breaking it from the tree and riding it down until it landed on Emmett’s head with a deafening crack. Gracefully, she leaped aside, still out of Emmett’s reach. “When do me and Em get to hang out with Bella?”

“Not for a while; give her some time to get used to the idea of vampires.”

Alice pouted prettily, “Why?”

“Because I know you two. And I know you’re going to try to get her involved with whatever all,” I gestured vaguely around them, “ _this_ is far too quickly, and it’s going to be too much too fast. We need to ease her into the family. She can start with Esme and Rosalie. They can actually pass as normal people,” I explained.

Alice clasped her hands behind her back and swung to and fro onto her tippy toes, feigning innocence, “You’re just nervous she’s gonna be the perfect addition to the Chaos Crew with me and Em, and you’re gonna be stuck with the Boring Blonde Brigade.”

“Not at all,” I partially lied, “If anything she’ll join me and Esme in Kool & the Gang.” 

She looked at me doubtfully.

“Oh, they don’t all need to be alliterative.”

“It's just kinda lame to steal a band name,” Alice said.

“Besides,” Emmett swiped at Alice who swiftly dodged his touch, “It doesn’t make any sense. What? Are you Kool? Does that mean Mom is the entire Gang?” 

“It’s a good name,” I bristled.

“Whatever,” Alice ducked into the car before Emmett could get to her, “Mark my words, Edward Anthony Cullen, Bella _will_ be a member of the Chaos Crew.”

After corralling my siblings into two cars, we eventually made it to school. For the first time, I found no joy in learning. These were no longer merely college courses but now insurmountable barriers that kept me from Bella’s side. After what felt like days, it was finally time for me to meet my love after her morning classes and take her to lunch.

For the first time, I found no joy in learning. These were no longer merely college courses but now insurmountable barriers that kept me from Bella’s side. After what felt like days, it was finally time for me to meet my love after her morning classes and take her to lunch.

Although she was no longer my personal angel in my meadow, my Bella was no less glorious. She stumbled out of her class looking absolutely gorgeous, warmly layered in sweatshirts and a trench coat. I gently took the books from her arms, longing to alleviate any burdens from her, no matter how light.

“Hello, Bella.”

Her small, shy smile was going to drive me insane. She hadn’t said a word to me yet, and I was already slipping into madness.

“Hi, Edward.”

That was it. I lost it. My lips were on hers. I raised my free hand to hold her face to mine. She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled her body against mine the best she could. I could hear her heart start to race as it always did when we kissed. I sighed against her closed mouth and she obediently opened hers. Ever so slowly, my icy tongue traced the shape of her perfect lips. Bella made the sweetest little sounds of pleasure. Trying to pull herself closer, she got up onto her tippy toes. That move through off the balance of my sweet girl and the kiss was broken as she began to fall. Her arms tightened, and my arm flashed around her waist. I couldn’t help but smile at her flustered expression and the beautiful blush that painted her face. I kissed her hair.

“Ready for lunch?”

After lunch, while I was walking to Bella’s final class of the day, I discovered another figure waiting outside the door. I quickly recognized the figure as Jacob, the werewolf at the party who was kissing Bella’s friend Angela and who told them both the legend of the Cold Ones. A quick scan of his thoughts revealed that he was waiting for me. Once he realized I was close, he quickly reviewed his plan in his head: he was going to pretend to be an ex-boyfriend of Bella’s and threaten me to back off.

This should be interesting.

I played my part as an aloof stranger and stood next to the bench he sat on. Jacob ran through his script one more time in his head before he stood up to face me. He adjusted himself to be as intimidating as he could: squared the hips, widened the stance, crossed his arms. It would have worked on Bella’s other admirers, but it took a lot more to intimidate a vampire. The werewolves had no idea that we could tell what they were from their scent. They thought they had the upper hand. I faked a cough to cover up a laugh.

“Edward Cullen.”

I acted like he pulled me from a train of thought, “Hmm?”

“You’ve been spending time with Isabella Swan.” He had to work to add some menace into his voice. I could tell from his thoughts he did not like to come off this way but could not think of another way to save Bella.

Save Bella? Why would he want to save Bella?

“I have.”

“Listen, buddy, I don’t know what you think you have with her, but Isabella belongs to me.”

“Odd. She never mentioned she knew a chauvinist pig.” Jacob internally recoiled at my words, and I regretting saying them. He seemed like a decent guy trying to do good deeds, but he was overstepping his bounds. Bella was an intelligent woman capable of making her own choices, and currently, her choice was me. As her boyfriend, I had every right to defend her and her choices.

“You’re wasting your time.”

“I’m an art major.” I lied. “My time is worthless.”

“The second I snap my fingers, she’ll be crawling back to me.”

I nodded, “Bella does enjoy a good snap.”

He was growing irritated, “She will never be yours.”

This game lost its appeal. “You can drop the theatrics now. I know what you are, just as you know what I am.”

Jacob was miffed that I played along for so long and that I just screwed up his dialog. He skipped over some more of his vague threats and got straight to the point. “Leave. Bella. Alone.”

“I deeply apologize but I am unable to do that.”

“Bullshit.”

“Look, I am not going to hurt her, I am not going to break the treaty. We’re just…” I searched for the right phrase. ‘Eternal soulmates with a reckless, undying devotion to one another’ felt like a little much to say out loud, and would most likely set him off. “having a little fun.” I finished. I hoped the pretense of a more casual relationship would keep him calm.

“Fine. Then have fun with someone else—anyone else. Choose any other girl in this entire city, and I will let you be. Just not Bella.” Memories flashed through his thoughts: Jacob’s induction into his wolf pack, his terrifying first shift, and the many unstable shifts afterward, his broken heart the day he told Bella he could no longer be her friend to keep her safely away. I suddenly understood. These threats were not merely to keep Bella safe, they were also a product of his own guilt. If Bella were introduced into the supernatural world now, all the miserable years he spent marring their friendship would have been for nothing. And he could not allow that.

He dropped his defensive stance, and looked at me, pleadingly, “Please. Don’t bring her into this world.”

He loved her. It was purely a deep, platonic love—Philia to the ancient Greeks—for which I was grateful. If this boy felt the Eros I felt for Bella I would not be able to stand it. I wouldn’t kill him, no. Perhaps I would gently maim him… No matter how he loved her, I would always love her more. I would give Bella everything and anything she wanted. And miraculously she wanted me. And if one day my sweet girl wanted to be what I was, I would give her that as well.

“I’m sorry,” I told him. And I was. I could respect that he was doing what he thought was best for Bella, but I did could not heed his wishes. He didn’t say anything before he stalked off, but a string of profanities directed at me in his thoughts made it clear he was not happy. I sighed. This would not be the last of Jacob.

Soon after his departure, I was greeted by Bella and Jasper. I couldn’t help but smile as the two of them discussed their lecture. It seemed my family was smitten by her as quickly as I was. Jasper was thoroughly intrigued by her interpretation and was excited to discover the workings of her strange little mind.

Me too, Jasper. Me too.

He bid us farewell to go to his next class, and Bella and I made our way to her truck. She didn’t argue when I plucked the keys from her pocket and sat in the driver’s seat. She snuggled up beside me on the bench and did her reading for English on the long drive home. With her warm, little body tucked so nicely into mine, I didn’t even mind the grueling pace of her old machine.

After an enchanting afternoon of homework, cuddles, and watching her prepare dinner, I expected this to carry through until the evening. That was until I saw Bella’s naked panic when she saw the headlights of her father’s car through the window. She jumped from my lap and pawed at the arm I had around her waist that had just prevented her from falling.

“Edward! You have to leave!” I didn’t understand the fear in her voice. Anytime she talked about her father, it was about how indifferent and casual their relationship was. Surely, he would be okay if she had a friend over. I wanted to calm her down and assure her it was no big deal, but all of those reassurances would essentially stem from nothing. I didn’t know her father—although I hoped that would change—and I didn’t know if there was something that made these fears very real.

I bit my tongue and instead asked her if she would like me to stay in her room. She nodded. I kissed her and flew upstairs. I closed her bedroom door at the same time her father opened the front door.

I spent the afternoon free from Bella’s thoughts as expected, so it took me a moment or two to realize that I could also not hear the thoughts of her father. How odd. Was this whole lineage protected from my gift? Were their others in the world protected from me that I had not yet encountered? This discovery made me… uneasy. It was troubling that my family could be in danger of being discovered, and I would be none the wiser.

Downstairs, Charlie ate his dinner from the living room, and Bella sat alone at the kitchen table. I wished that she would introduce me to her father, so I could join her. Keep her company, keep her smiling. It was all I wanted.

The house remained silent—thoughts included—for a long while.

“Did you like dinner, Dad?” Bella asked. Charlie was in the kitchen again, scraping something.

“It was fine.”

“Well, I found Grandma Swan’s meatball recipe, and you said you missed her cooking and…”

Her father huffed in disbelief. “I said that?”

Her voice was quiet. “..Well, not directly. You hinted at it, I guess”

“You can just serve frozen meatballs Bells, you know I would never know the difference. No need to waste your time and my money.”

“You’re right. Sorry, Dad.”

There was a large crash downstairs that sounded suspiciously like an avalanche of miscellaneous items falling from their haphazard confinement. I smiled at the memory of Bella in her beautiful white dress carelessly shoving things in the front closet for my arrival.

Bella’s voice was soft, “I’m sorry, Dad.” I was glad I wasn’t able to see through Charlie’s mind into the sorrowful eyes of my sweet girl, for it would surely break my heart. I did not understand how it didn’t break his; he remained indifferent.

“It’s fine, kiddo. I know Renee kept a tight ship, but I don’t care.”

I bit back a growl at the name of Bella’s mother—if that woman could even be referred to as such. The tiny glimpses into her childhood Bella offered during our lunch dates over the last few weeks were more than enough evidence for me to despise this woman. The weekends she spent alone playing “grown-up” in an empty apartment as a child, the little closet “forts” Renee made for her small child to keep her out of sight when she had a man over, the under-the-table waitressing job Bella had at age fourteen. I was never able to glean what she really felt about it from our dates; she would always laugh them off as a silly story. I hoped since we were no longer just friends, now that we were more, she would feel safer to talk to me about it.

It pained me to discover that even here, away from her mother, she still had the role of caretaker. Although it seemed to be self-imposed rather than forced, it still hurt my heart.

“I know Dad, I’m sorry,” the conversation continued below me. “School just got a little crazy.”

“Whatever, Bella. I’ll be in the living room.”

I wondered how soon would be considered “too soon” to ask her to live with me. I could buy her a beautiful apartment above a coffee shop in downtown Seattle, close to campus. I would take care of her and the home, while she finally took time for herself. As long as Bella allowed me to stay by her side, I would do everything in my power so she would never have to lift a finger. Anything she did not wish to do, I would take care of.

I would have to talk to Alice…

While I was daydreaming about how beautiful Bella would look reading on a sunlit balcony overlooking the city, I missed her stumbling up the steps. She suddenly crashed into her bedroom.

I swept her up into my arms immediately. “My darling,” I purred, placing gentle kisses along her jaw.

“Sorry about the wait, Edward. I had to clean up the kitchen, then organize that closet, balance the checkbook…”

“You have nothing to apologize for,” I told her and nipped at her earlobe with my lips, “Not ever.” She giggled sweetly and twisted herself in my arms so she could do the same to me. I brought her over to her tiny twin bed and curled her into my chest.

As much as I loved our own private bubble, I discovered that I also loved being with Bella in public. I loved carrying her books and holding her umbrella. I loved putting my arm around her waist or shoulders to proudly display that she was mine. I loved giving her a soft peck on the cheek or forehead or lips to—always briefly—say goodbye. I just loved Bella and anything that involved her, no matter how small. I took her out as often as she would allow.

I learned quickly that Bella did not like extravagant gifts or dates, but not quickly enough. For our first official date, I went to one of Alice’s favorite shops and picked out a dress for Bella: delicate, navy blue, soft lines that would accentuate her lovely curves. I left the dress and a matching necklace on her bed, along with a note telling her when I would pick her up. When I arrived to pick Bella up in my Spider, she was not wearing the dress. In its place was a plain, cotton dress and a scowl on her face.

Being the irritating psychic that she was, Alice texted me to tell me she already canceled my reservation for our private dining room at the three Michelin Star restaurant and got us a table at something a bit more moderate. Even with the severe monetary cutbacks on our date, Bella still was not pleased. From what I could not understand. The menu at the cheaper option didn’t even have the prices listed on it; she didn’t even know what I was paying! She refused to order, so I had taken the liberty of ordering their two most popular pasta dishes. The pasta sat and chilled on the table, and I was forced to box it up and hand it to the first homeless person we saw on the walk back to the car.

With that date marked in the books as an utter failure, I went ahead and gave away the box-seat tickets to concerts, returned the sailboat I purchased for her, and canceled all of the other reservations I made at restaurants just to be safe. I started paying attention to the dates the girls were daydreaming about in class and I eavesdropped on the conversations of girls discussing the weekends they had with their boyfriends so I would not mess up for Bella again.

It seemed as if the bar had lowered significantly when it came to courting in the twenty-first century. Most of the girls were ecstatic when their boyfriends did something as minor as paying for their meal or bringing them tampons and chocolate during their time of the month. Jasper and Emmett laughed at me for three days straight when they found the box of tampons I now kept in my car for Bella. However, if I could be seen as a hero to Bella for even that brief moment, they could laugh at me for three years and it would have been worth it. The girls also enjoyed it when they were brought to various events—concerts, art shows, dinner—and they especially enjoyed when the events took place in an atmosphere they could classify as ‘cute’.

With that discovery and the knowledge she disliked anything extravagant, I brought Bella to a dark, cozy concert venue where we could snuggle up on a dingy couch and she could sip spiked hot chocolate. We went to a modern art exhibit and giggled quietly at our silly interpretations of the pieces. I took her greenhouse and built her a bouquet of flowers that would smell as lovely to her as she smelled to me.

However, her favorite dates tended to be the ones where we hid upstairs in her tiny bedroom, trading secrets and kisses into the wee hours of the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the art major jab... I was an art major too AND I have a job in my field so it is not worthless!


	16. The Next Great Vampire Baker

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was a little last-minute addition to the story, inspired by a random Tumblr post.  
> Thank you for the encouragement, Jessica314 :) 
> 
> These characters and ideas all belong to Stephanie Meyer

**E-POV**

Around three in the morning, I was set up and ready to bake for my sweetheart. Bella was fast asleep in her room, and her father was working the night shift at the police station, so he would not be back home until late the next morning. I had searched through the cabinets and pulled out the appropriate pans, bowls, and equipment called out on the recipe I had pulled up on Bella’s laptop. I was about to set to work when the familiar metal voices of my brother and sister approached the house.

Alice appeared in the back door. I knew there was a chance I would regret the decision to encourage Bella to invite Alice into her home in a small attempt to ignite their friendship. Although, I did expect it to be fashion-related.

“I saw you were going to need my help,” she declared.

“And him?” I pointed at Emmett breaking the lock on the Swan’s kitchen window.

“He was bored.”

Emmett slid open the window and squeezed through. He didn’t think using a door would be appropriate for breaking into someone’s house at night. Is that what he thought they were doing? Great.

I glared at Emmett. “How can _you_ get in here?”

His favorite shit-eating grin was plastered on his face. “Bella forgot her English homework one day, and wrote out an invitation for me so I could run here and get it for her.” He replayed the memory for my benefit.

I sighed. My sweet girl didn’t realize the horrors she would be releasing by inviting Emmett into her home.

“Fine. We’re making a lemon and basil cake.”

“For Bella?” he asked.

“...Yes?”

“Don’t human girls usually prefer chocolate?”

“Lemon is her favorite flavor—it reminds her of the sun.”

“Ah, makes perfect sense,” Emmett said sarcastically. He couldn’t understand how a fruit would remind her of a star. They were both yellow, he supposed.

Alice and Emmett made themselves comfortable around them small dining table and watched me work. Making the sponge was simple. I dumped the butter and sugar into a bowl, and whisked vigorously—there was no need for an electric mixer when vampire strength and speed were available. Once the mixture was pale and fluffy, I beat in the eggs one at a time. Then, I lightly folded in the flour and baking powder. This was going to be easy. I idly wondered what all the fuss was about on the show. Surely, the experienced bakers couldn’t actually face all of the hardships on the show; they must have writers add them in to stir up some drama.

I asked Emmett to fetch me the next ingredient.

He peeked into her spice cabinet, “Nope.”

I frowned, “She doesn’t have any basil?”

Alice’s thoughts were disappointed, but not surprised. “Edward, you didn’t do any grocery shopping?”

“I just assumed humans already have all this stuff…”

Emmett riffled around in the cabinet, “No basil… but there’s this Italian season blend. It has basil. Would that work?”

“I didn’t see why not. If anything, more spices would make it taste better, right?”

Alice glanced into the near future, we both saw my darling taking a large bite of cake and smiling. “It looks like she’s enjoying it.”

I took that as a confirmation and dumped the Italian seasoning into the cake batter. Fortunately, Bella did have fresh lemons. I wanted to make it extra lemony since it was her favorite flavor, so I zested six of them and squeezed the juice in the bowl.

“Limoncello…” I hesitated at the next ingredient on the list. I wasn’t sure what it was.

“Dude, you are such a dork.” Emmett scoffed. “It’s a lemon cocktail mix thing.”

“How do you know that? You can’t drink.”

“Know your bro’s hoes, man.” He repeated his stupid mantra. “Limoncello gin was Vinny’s girlfriend’s favorite drink.”

I brought us back to the task at hand. “Does Bella have Limoncello?”

Emmett riffled through the fridge, “Here’s a Mike’s Hard Lemonade. That’s a lemon alcohol thing.”

We both looked over at Alice.

Alice double-checked her vision. “Still eating it.”

I measured out the drink and poured it into the batter. Next, I poured the mixture into the three baking tins and set them in the preheated oven.

Emmett clapped his hands, “Done! That was easy.”

“No.” I scrolled down to the rest of the recipe, “We still need to make the frosting and the glaze”

Alice peaked under my arm to read the screen, “Oh it says to decorate with dried rose petals! Jasper and I have some extra in one of our little nests nearby. I’ll be back!”

She was off before I could beg her not to bring any of her love nest petals into the sanctity of Bella’s home.

“What inspired you to become America’s Next Top Baker?” Emmett asked while he watched me whip together butter, milk, powdered sugar, and more of the Mike’s Hard Lemonade.

“Bella had a rough day.” I frowned. Today was our last day of finals; mine ended after hers, but she wanted to wait for me to finish. When she was not in our agreed meeting spot, I almost had a heart attack. The relief I felt when I found her sitting in her truck was short-lived, because I could tell she had been crying. Despite my best efforts, she refused to say anything; she only repeated over and over that she wanted to go home. She said nothing on the entire drive home or throughout her entire tedious dinner preparations. The only remark she made the entire night was when we were settled in her twin bed watching her favorite baking show on her laptop.

“That looks good.” She murmured into my chest as the baker on the show displayed their creation to the judges.

And so, I was going to make that very cake tonight and surprise her with it in the morning. It had only been a few hours since I last saw her smile, and I was desperate to see it again.

“Do you know why?” Emmett asked, almost cryptically.

“No. I’m worried that she failed her test and won’t tell me.” I glared at him; his grin was back. “Do you?”

He was pleased that he had the gossip before Alice or me for once. “It happened during English unless something worse happened to her afterward. Which, you gotta admit, is very likely when it comes to Bella.”

Emmett showed me the memory of the final presentations from their shared English class. From Emmett’s angle in the back of the class, I watched my Bella walk up towards the front of the room. When she passed the front row of desks, she bumped into one and spilled her classmate’s water down the front of her pants.

 _“We don’t have all day, Miss Swan.”_ I heard the professor drone in Emmett’s mind.

And so my sweet Bella—flushing, soaking, and stammering—spoke in front of her entire class on the symbolism in _The Sirens of Titan_.

I stood absolutely still, dumbfounded. It was difficult not to laugh. _Nothing that makes her cry is funny, nothing that makes her cry is funny,_ I chanted to myself. Meanwhile, Emmett was shaking from his poorly concealed giggles.

“I love that you love this girl, Ed,” he chuckled, shaking his head. _“I hope she stays this awkward when she turns. Maybe she’ll get a special ability like you, Alice, and Jazz that would allow her to keep her clumsiness. She could be a super klutz!”_ I cringed at the heaps of destruction Emmett envisioned.

Alice appeared by my side. “Back!” she announced and threw a fistful of her petals at me. I deftly avoided getting hit in the face with a love petal.

“Don’t worry,” she chirped, “there’s more.” She emptied her pockets and dumped several handfuls of petals on the table.

“Great,” I muttered. The frosting was light and fluffy like the instructions described, and I put the bowl in the fridge for the mixture to stay cool.

“What now?” She asked.

“Glaze.”

“Ooh lemme try that one!” I read out the instructions for her and she followed suit. She let the small pan of sugar and lemon juice sit over low heat. She kept deciding to turn off the heat at different intervals, to see which amount of time would give her the best result. When she saw that deciding on two minutes and twenty-one seconds left us with the perfect, syrupy consistency, she began counting. When it got to that moment, she turned off the heat.

I was impressed. “In your next life, maybe you should be a baker,” I suggested. “You could do wedding cakes.”

Her thoughts brightened at the idea. She turned to smile at me and thank me for the suggestion, but something behind me distracted her.

“The sweater!” she gasped. She darted past me and into Bella’s laundry room and grabbed one of Bella’s tops off of the rack it was drying on. It was a bright, red sweater with knit ruffles all along the front. On its own, it was pretty hard to look at, but once it was actually on Bella, it looked great. Alice’s deft little hands went over the sweater, searching. She was trying to locate the end of the yarn so she could give it a gentle tug and ruin it.

I ran over and snatched the sweater from her. “You will not be destroying anything of hers, Alice!”

“Oh, Edward come on! You know I’ll buy her new clothes to replace it! Better clothes! Pretty clothes! You _have_ to be sick of her hideous sweaters.”

“They’re cute!”

“There comes a point where love can turn into delusion, you know.”

I pointed towards the kitchen, “Out.”

I turned to hang it back up when a large groan in Alice’s thoughts stopped me. _“You’re just going to leave it there? Taunting me? That’s torture, Edward!”_

I rolled my eyes and threw the sweater at Emmett. “Please put this in Bella’s room. Closed door on the right.”

I realized my mistake a fraction of a second later.

“Eddie!” Emmett whispered from upstairs. Good god, what now? I zipped up to her bedroom immediately. Emmett was holding his cell phone over Bella’s sleeping face. “She’s drooling!”

Bella did not want me to watch her sleep; she was too embarrassed by the idea. However, she did want me there while she fell asleep and when she woke up, posing a confusing contradiction that romantic relationships seemed to be riddled with. To concede the conflicting desires, after she fell asleep I spent the nights hunting in the woods nearby, cleaning the parts of the house she missed, or reading in her living room until I heard the soft sounds that she was beginning to wake up. Then, I would go back up to her room and gather her into my arms once more.

If Bella awoke to see Emmett filming her, she would dump me before this cake finished baking.

“Emmett!” I hissed.

“This is adorable, man.”

“Emmett!” I begged. “Please don’t wake her up!”

Alice was now in the room with us. “If you think that’s cute Em, just watch her for fourteen more seconds.”

They stood over her. Bella sighed sweetly in her sleep, squeezed the blanket in her fist, and murmured, “Edward.”

Emmett tilted his head back with his hand on his forehead, “That’s. So. Cute.” When he looked back at me, he smiled the biggest, goofiest grin. I couldn’t stop myself from smiling back. No one had to tell me that everything about my human love was pure and precious.

He held the phone over her face again, “Esme’s going to love this.”

My smile faded. I ripped the phone out of this hand, ”Leave.”

He turned to leave at human speed, hamming up his disappointment. Before he was fully out the door, he got distracted by Bella’s bra hanging on the doorknob. He raised an eyebrow at me, “Nice, man.”

I rolled my eyes; Emmett was such a child. “Please. Like you haven’t been married for seventy-five years.”

“No. You got me beat in this area. I’ve never seen a girl’s bra before,” he told me seriously. “Rosie doesn’t need to wear one.”

I looked at Alice.

She shrugged, “We’re naturally perky.”

I shook my head and blinked. “Wow, I did not need to know that.”

After a while, I was able to corral my siblings back down to the kitchen. I recounted the minutes in my mind and realized it was just about time to take out the cake.

I frowned into the oven. “I think it needs more time.”

Emmett tilted the computer screen up so he could read the recipe, “I don’t know man. It says here to bake the cake for fifty-five minutes. Do you really want to play god like that?”

Alice moved the screen back down to her level, “It also says it should be golden brown.”

Emmett peered into the oven, “I have never seen anything so golden brown in my entire goddamn life.”

“Fine. Take it out.”

Alice crossed her arms, “And now we wait for it to cool before decorating.”

We all watched the cake for a few seconds.

“This is taking forever!” Emmett groaned. “Put it in the freezer; speed this shit up.”

It wasn’t a terrible idea. I moved aside the heaps of frozen fish in Swan’s freezer to make room for the tins. Several moments later, Emmett removed the cakes from the freezer.

They were miserable looking things. Both sponges had concaved on themselves and cracked in some places. They looked like Emmett sat on them.

“That doesn’t look anything like the picture.” Emmett gestured to the computer. “I know,” I agreed, frustrated. What went wrong? We followed every instruction to the letter.

“Well, that’s because it doesn’t have any frosting yet!” Alice encouraged. “Frosting makes everything better!”

Emmett and I left Alice to her own devices. She reconstructed the broken cakes using frosting and glaze as the glue and filled in the divots. The cake looked straight and flat once it was fully covered.

I nodded in approval, “Baking is definitely in your future.”

She smiled at that, “You sound like me!”

Alice went to throw the love nest petals over the cake, but I grabbed her wrist, “Not a chance.” She grumbled and thought along the lines of _never wants to have any fun_. Emmett and Alice left through the window, Emmett gushing about how excited he was to tell Esme that he baked a cake.

Not much later, Bella began to stir upstairs. I wedged myself into my spot on the bed and circled my arms around her. Her body reacted to my embrace.

I kissed her forehead, “Good morning.”

She nuzzled her face into my neck and murmured something unintelligible, even to my sensitive ears. Eventually, I was able to pick out the word “coffee”. I kissed her once more and promised there would be a pot ready for her when she got downstairs.

Bella padded into the kitchen, still groggy and mussed from sleep.

“Oh!” she breathed when she saw the cake centered on the kitchen table.

“Surprise!”

She smiled widely, and the entire kitchen brightened. “Did you make this for me?”

I nodded, smiling back.

She circled around the table to where I was standing and wrapped her arms around me. I returned the gesture.

She pulled back slightly to look up at me. “I love you,” she said, her chocolate eyes warm. She was too beautiful. if I were human, my knees would have buckled, and I would have crashed to the ground under such a gaze. But my vampire strength allowed me to stay upright, and stare back into the glorious eyes of an angel.

I kissed her delicately, “I love you, too. So, so much.”

She basked in the knowledge for a moment, before she turned away to fetch her breakfast. She skipped over to the cabinets and eagerly reached for a plate and fished some serving utensils out from a drawer. I sat at the kitchen table and pulled her onto my lap. She served herself a slice and frowned.

The middle of the cake looked dense and wet; nothing like the fluffy sponge the judges praised on the show. “Is that bad?” I asked.

“No, no.” She waved her delicate little hand in the air. “It just means it will be moist.”

She took a large bite and smiled up at me, just like in Alice’s vision. Then, her eyes widened, and she started coughing.

“Bella?” I took the fork from her hand and replaced it with a glass of water.

She gulped down the entire glass of water before speaking again. “That’s really sour.” She croaked.

“I wanted to make sure it tasted lemony. Is that bad?”

“No!” she said a little too loudly, “It’s just really sour.” She coughed again. “And… is that oregano?”

“You didn’t have basil, so I used Italian seasoning.”

Her beautiful eyes widened in horror for a moment before she controlled her expression. “And why does it taste like beer?” She had an excellent pallet.

I winced. “That might be the Mike’s Hard Lemonade in the cake. And the glaze. And the frosting.”

She gaped.

“You didn’t have Limoncello; are they not the same?”

“Definitely not,” she scoffed.

I took her beautiful face into my hands. “Bella, my love. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to eat the rest.”

She shook her head; I dropped my hands, “You made this for me so I love it.”

She went to take another bite and hesitated. “Although, you know who would love this more? Charlie’s squad.” She nodded, presumably pleased with herself that she came up with such a “good” excuse.

“Oh?”

Another quick nod. “Mmhmm. They’ve been working on an—um—intense case and would appreciate some sweet encouragement.” She jumped up from my lap and began reckless searching through the cabinets for something. After a few moments of crashing and banging, she pulled out a plastic cake carrier.

“I can take it to them and meet Charlie right after his shift.” She nodded to herself while she put away the cake.

“Not because you don’t love it, but because they would love it more?” I pressed.

“Mmhmm,” she agreed, her voice high and tight.

I suppressed a laugh. I always seemed to discover something new to love about Bella each and every day. Today, it was how bad of a liar she was, and how cute she was when she tried. “Alright my darling.” I stood up from my seat and lightly kissed her forehead. “Let’s go.”


	17. An Awkward Little Meal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All of these characters and ideas belong to Stephanie Meyer

**B-POV**

So far the best parts about college were take-home tests, the cookies in the dining hall, and the entire month we had off for winter break. For two full weeks, Edward and I were completely inseparable. When we weren’t hiding out in my room or surrounded by his family, we were off exploring Seattle and each other.

The only time we spent apart was when Edward’s family went off to Great Britain to spend Christmas in what they called their “Christmas house”, as was their tradition. Edward invited me along with them, but not only did the thought of an entire house for one holiday shake me to my core, but I felt needlessly guilty for abandoning Charlie on Christmas. When Edward suggested that he stay home to spend the holiday with me and Charlie, I rejected the idea immediately.

He was obviously devastated by my rejection, and Alice later informed me that he spent most of their vacation moping. When they returned after New Year’s, Edward and I went right back to where we left off, but it was obvious he wasn’t over the Christmas thing.

“You’re embarrassed of me,” he said one day in January. Seconds before, we were lounging in his bed, reading the book of German poems Carlisle gave him for Christmas, comparing our interpretations. Now, he was laying back with the book draped over his face.

“Edward! How could you say that?” In what world would someone like me be ashamed to have a brilliant, beautiful, supernatural musician as a boyfriend? If anything, _he_ should be embarrassed by _me_.

“You haven’t told anyone in your life about me.”

I wrapped my arms around him and snuggled myself against his marble body. “Jessica and Angela know we’re dating.”

He snorted. “Barely. You asked me to leave and wait in the car every time you stopped to talk with Jessica and Angela.”

I blushed. “Well, that’s for Jessica’s sake. She has a small problem with coherency when she’s around you.”

“Don’t remind me,” he groaned. “That friend of yours has a very loud and colorful imagination.”

“See? A perfectly reasonable excuse.”

“Your father?” he pressed.

The thought of introducing Edward to Charlie sent butterflies straight to my stomach. I couldn’t even begin to explain this unexpected dread to myself, let alone Edward. I remained silent.

He took a deep breath, “I understand if you’re… ashamed…”

I stopped him right there. I shoved the book off of his face and I lifted my head up from his shoulder so I could stare directly into his eyes, “I am not ashamed of you.”

His expression remained soft, “I don’t understand.”

I ducked back down and hid my face in his armpit—it smelled very Edward in there. “I don’t know what to say to him.”

“Just tell him you fell hopelessly in love with a blood-sucking demon. He’ll understand.”

I peeked out of hiding to glare at him.

He tried again, “We care about each other, that’s all I need him to know. You can introduce me as your friend if that makes this easier. I just want to be a part of your life.”

It was hard to debate with that. It seemed silly that I wouldn’t tell Charlie I was dating the embodiment of Apollo after Edward proudly introduced a pitiful human to his family almost immediately.

I held out my hand, “Give me your phone.”

He reached over to his bedside table and handed me his fancy little rectangle, “What do you need it for?”

“I’m going to text Charlie and ask him to clean the living room because my boyfriend is coming over for dinner.”

***

I already regretted this decision. 

“How is it even going to work?” I complained, full pout mode locked and loaded. I was sitting in the passenger seat in Edward’s sleek, black car ignoring how quickly he zipped along the winding mountain roads. For the first time in his car, the alarming speeds were not the cause of my nausea, it was the destination. We were racing to have dinner with my father. Why this Greek god of a boy was insistent on making awkward small talk in my shabby kitchen with my shabbier father was beyond me.

“You can’t even eat! It’s going to be weirder than it already is,” I continued.

“I have a plan.” He threw a dashing smile my way. His optimism was beginning to piss me off.

“Oh?” I challenged.

He chuckled at my tone and reached behind my seat to bring out a plastic bottle. It was a Blender Bottle, the kind of bottle the student-athletes carried around that housed their protein shakes.

I eyed it suspiciously. “What does the bottle have to do with anything?” I poked his bicep, “You have enough muscle mass for all of us.”

“Your new boyfriend is a sugar-free, gluten-free vegan,” he smiled. “We’ll tell him I have these shakes to hold me over until I can eat something at home.” He looked very proud of his vampire lie.

“And you really think that this is going to work?”

“Hey, I got you to believe I was a vegan,” He reminded me.

“That doesn’t mean anything. I was lost in your eyes for two months straight—Charlie isn’t going to be swayed by your boyish charms.”

“We’ll see about that,” he shot over the half-smile he knew I loved.

I wasn’t going to give in so easily. I couldn’t explain why the thought of Edward meeting my dad made me so queasy, not even to myself. After hanging out with Edward’s amazing, loving family I guessed I was starting to become embarrassed of my own. There wouldn’t be an immaculate buffet prepared in his honor prepared by my mother. There would be no kind, welcoming conversation with my father. There would be no family gathering filled with music, laughter, and love. We would be lucky to get a frozen lasagna and three, short sentences from Charlie followed by a silent night around the TV.

Perhaps I was afraid that if Edward saw how easily Charlie brushed me aside, he would realize there was something wrong with me, too, and follow suit.

Regardless, it was easier to disguise these feelings as irritation than to let Edward see the fear. “Isn’t that a little much? Charlie might wonder why I’m with such an extremist.”

Edward shrugged, “Tell him my parents died from a disease long ago, and it affected my diet.”

“That’s so sad, Edward.”

“It’s technically true,” he pointed out. “Besides, I’d rather have him pity me than fear me.” His wistful smile turned sour abruptly. “Crap.”

“What is it?”

He huffed, “Your father had some unexpected visitors this afternoon and did not wish to turn them away.” We turned the corner in time for me to see Jacob’s familiar car parked in the driveway.

I frowned, “What are they doing here?”

Edward’s only response was a deep sigh. He parked his car behind Jacob’s. His expression became unfathomable, I reached over to stroke his face with the tips of my fingers. He leaned into my touch until I was fully caressing his cheek. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply.

“Jacob and his father… I think they know about you.” I said.

Edward nodded, his eyes still shut, “ I know.”

“Will they hurt you?”

“No. They’re in there now to make sure Charlie doesn’t approve of me. Their only goal at the moment is to keep me away from you and Charlie.” Edward placed his hand over mine and held it tighter to his face. “The two of them are planning on making this night unpleasant. It’s all my fault, I am so sorry Bella.”

“We care about each other,” I repeated. “That’s what we are demonstrating tonight. We just have a larger audience, now.”

A small smile touched the corners of his lips, it tugged at my heart. He turned his head to kiss the inside of my hand. “I love you,” he murmured. His cool breath tickled my skin.

“I love you, too.”

We approached the house hand-in-hand. “Dad?” I called into the doorway.

“We’re here, Bells,” Charlie responded from the kitchen. “

Hey there, Isabella!” I heard Billy call out after.

Edward and I found Billy, Charlie, and Jacob already sitting at the round kitchen table, with a half-eaten pizza between them.

“Dad,” I said through my teeth. “We had plans.”

Edward let go of my hand and rubbed soothing circles onto my lower back, “It’s alright, Bella. Chief Swan, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Edward Cullen.”

Charlie nodded towards him, “Please call me, Charlie.” He gestured towards the empty chairs, “Join us. I hope you don’t mind the extra company. This is my partner, Billy, and his son, Jacob.”

I regarded the empty chairs with disdain, I had no idea what would make Edward feel more comfortable, sitting next to my father or sitting next to Jacob. Both options were equally embarrassing.

Edward saved me the trouble of deciding by sitting fluidly in the seat next to Jacob. “No, not at all. I intended to meet Bella’s family tonight, and that should include all of it. Jacob, Bella tells me you are like a little brother to her.” He smiled easily.

Jacob’s eyes darkened at Edward’s comment.

“Cullen, huh?” Billy asked Edward, feigning ignorance. “You related to that new doctor at the hospital? What’s his name, Jake? Carl?”

“Carlisle.” Edward corrected with a stunning smile. “And yes, he is my father.”

“Dr. Cullen seems a little young to have a kid in college.” Billy pointed out.

“That’s true. Carlisle adopted me when I was twelve and he was twenty-three. All of my siblings are adopted, sir.”

“Adopted, huh?” Charlie grumbled, taking another slice of pizza out of the box. I replaced his hand on the lid of the box and took two slices for myself.

Edward nodded and repeated the story he told me during one of our many lunch dates when I wasn’t in on his secret. “When Carlisle and Esme got married, they became foster parents and ended up adopting the kid each time.” he paused briefly to flash a dazzling smile. “Me in Chicago, Emmett in Nashville, and finally Alice in New Orleans.”

“Adopted, huh.” Billy considered that. “Hon, didn’t we just read an article about how kids who grew up in the foster care system are more likely to commit crimes?”

“We did read that,” Charlie grumbled in agreement.

I tried to save the conversation. “Well, Edward wasn’t in foster care for very long.”

“Well, the story I heard was that Edward’s parents died when he was three years old,” Charlie recalled.

Billy hopped on that immediately, “And he just said that he was adopted when he was twelve, didn't he, Dear? That’s a suspicious amount of holes in your story, Edwin.”

Oops.

Edward brushed his fingers over my knee under the table. “I _was_ in foster care for quite a while. I might not have told Bella about that, yet; I don’t really like talking about it. Carlisle raised all three of us in a very loving and welcoming environment.”

Charlie nodded, “Sounds like a good man. From what I’ve heard, everyone at the hospital adores him.”

“I could not have asked for a better father. Better parents, really.”

“Rumor has it he has five children.” Billy pointed out.

Edward chuckled, “I shouldn’t be surprised that he says he has five. Alice and Emmett are married. Carlisle and Esme consider their in-laws as their own children.”

“Married? In college?” Charlie was surprised. “That’s awfully young.”

“Yes, well Alice and Jasper ran off this past summer and got married in Vegas after knowing each other for three days. I don’t think anyone could have stopped them. Emmett married Rosalie while we were in high school to get her out of an abusive household. Both couples are perfect for one another and immeasurably happy.”

“Sounds like you’re the odd man out, Edwin. You trying to get married as well? Even up those numbers?” Billy asked.

“Edward.” I corrected.

“I will when the time is right.” Edward squeezed my knee. He didn’t have to mention finding the right girl. He already had her.

“Well, I don’t picture Isabella getting married until she’s at least forty, maybe even fifty.” Jake commented.

“Hey!”

“What? It’s going to take you that long to get out of your awkward phase,” he teased. I smiled ruefully back.

Jacob eyed Edward’s empty plate, “What? You don’t eat pizza? Food of the working class man not good enough for you?”

I answered for him, “Edward’s a vegan, Jake.”

Billy actually laughed out loud.

“He can take off the cheese,” Jake suggested.

“He doesn’t eat gluten or sugar, either.” I snatched the Blender Bottle out of Edward’s hand and waved it in Jake’s face, “See?” I taunted.

Edward took the bottle back, “What Bella’s means is, I’m okay right now, thank you.” He gave me a wide-eyed look that said one word: _chill._

“Well, I hope our dinner doesn’t offend you,” Billy said, taking a large bite out of his slice of pizza.

“Don’t worry about me,” Edward took a sip out of his fake bottle, “I do it primarily for health reasons; the positive effect on the environment is just a happy bonus.” He smiled.

“So, health and fitness are important to you?” Charlie asked. I knew where this was going.

“Yes, sir,” Edward nodded.

“Play any sports?”

“No sir. Never did stay in one place long enough to join a team. Damn shame, though. I always wanted to play baseball.” I bit down my smile, Edward knew the exact buttons to push to please my father.

“What position would you have played, son?”

“I would have wanted to be an outfielder.” Edward beamed, “I like to think I’m a fast runner and when I was younger I looked up to Ichiro.” Now Edward was really buttering him up.

“Suzuki?” Charlie’s eyes lit up. “Good choice; he’s one of the greats.”

Jacob and Billy had no intention of letting Edward and Charlie hit it off so well. Jacob spoke next, his eyes glinting with humor, “Bella eats meat and sugar, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen her run. Are you worried she’s gonna get fat?”

That comment startled me, causing me to drop my pizza; it landed cheese-down in my lap, “Jacob!” I exclaimed, now truly annoyed.

But Edward only laughed. “She will be beautiful at any size.”

“So, is that what’s you’re after? Good looks? Because I can tell you, you’ll find plenty of girls better looking than Isabella.”

“Jacob!” I exclaimed again.

“Excuse me?” Edward’s voice went flat.

Jacob was pleased that he finally struck a nerve. He continued egging Edward on. “What’s a pretty, rich boy like you even doing with Isabella? Surely, you could find someone who doesn’t have pepperoni stuck to them.” He regarded the pizza stain in my lap.

“Come on, now Jake.” Charlie scolded, but barely interested now that the conversation steered away from baseball.

“No, I want to know what this guy wants with Isabella!” Jacob said to Charlie, then turned to glare at Edward.

“She’s perfect.” Edward’s voice was flat and even as he reigned in his anger. “She’s smart and fun. She’s kind and honest. More beautiful than she needs to be with a personality like that. I like the person she challenges me to be.”

“Really? It didn’t sound that way before. What were your exact words? Oh yeah, ‘We’re just having a little fun,’” Jacob said.

“You two met before?” I asked.

Edward grabbed my hand, “Only briefly, sweetheart.”

“Oh wow,” Jake commented. “Already keeping secrets?” Jacob shook his head and clicked his tongue.

“Butt out, Jake.”

Billy chimed in, “Isabella, this doesn’t seem like a healthy way to start a relationship, does it, Hon?"

Charlie shook his head in agreement with his boyfriend, “No, it does not.”

Jacob scoffed, “Smart and fun my ass. Admit it, Isabella was the first girl desperate and stupid enough to fall for your little games.”

“Go ahead,” Venom was practically dripping from Edward’s words, “insult her one more time; I dare you.” The wheels were turning as Jacob thought up the perfect insult to drive Edward over the edge. Even now, I could see the rage burning in Edward’s eyes and he read Jacob’s mind.

Enough was enough. I stood up abruptly, “Edward, let’s go.”

“Bells?” Charlie asked, oddly confused. It was as if this entire interaction was perfectly normal.

“Dad, Edward and I will come back when the children learn to play nice.” I glared at Billy and Jacob. “Come on, Edward.” I took Edward’s hand and pulled him after me.

“Nice meeting you, sir,” Edward called back into the kitchen.

“You too, son.”

I was seething the entire drive to Edward’s house. I continued to seethe while Edward fished some clean leggings out of Rosalie’s dresser for me to change in to, and was still seething when he snuggled me up against his chest on the living room couch. He let me stew for an episode and a half of my favorite baking show before attempting to make me feel better.

“It really wasn’t that bad, sweetheart,” his honeyed voice usually pulled me out of a bad mood, but I was exceptionally annoyed tonight. “I expected Jacob to be an idiot, but the level of idiocy was far greater than anything I ever imagined. Billy, however, was actually quite tame compared to what he was throwing at me in his mind. His insults were so direct, I started to worry that he knew I could read minds.” He chuckled.

“This isn’t funny.”

He sighed, “No, it’s not. But try not to be mad at them, Bella. They’re trying to do what they think is best for you. They love you.”

I laughed out loud in disbelief. “What’s best for me,” I mocked. That was Jacob’s favorite excuse. “Sure.”

“It’s true, sweetheart.”

“Then why did he have to be so mean?” I sniffed.

Edward kissed my forehead very gently, “That would be my fault, darling. He could tell I was fine when the attacks were at me, but saw how easily I would crack when he attacked you. You saw how it almost worked. If you hadn’t intervened, I may have easily snapped. I’m sorry about that, by the way. That was no way to behave in front of your father.”

“S’not your fault.” I muttered. “Jacob needs to just leave me alone.”

He brushed my hair away from my face, “I don’t think that’s what either of you wants, my love.” He sighed heavily, “You and Jacob have… a lot to discuss.”

“Why can’t you just tell me his thoughts?”

He shook his head, “It wouldn’t be fair.”

“Then what’s the point of being a mind reader if you’re going to be so… respectful of everyone all the time?”

He laughed, “All right then, I’ll tell you all the thoughts I hear right now: ‘Isabella Swan is the prettiest girl in the world.’ ‘Isabella Swan looked so cute covered in marinara.’ ‘Isabella Swan has zero respect for the telepathic.’”

I rolled my eyes; I knew we were alone. Edward could be such a weirdo. “Those are all your thoughts, Edward.”

“Oh. I guess they are. That must be why they’re dripping with class and wisdom.”

I laughed briefly at his absurdity and then sighed.

“Bella, you should talk to Jacob. He thinks he is rescuing you from me.”

I hugged my arms around him, “I don’t want to be rescued from you.”

“Mmm,” he held me closer. “That my love, is a very good thing. Would you mind if I try to make up for my behavior this evening?”

There was nothing for him to apologize for, but I was intrigued. “Of course.”

He stood up from the couch and placed me on my feet. He was gone for a brief moment, and then return with an armful of clothing.

Each time we went out this winter, Edward was never satisfied until I looked like the abominable snowman. But this was absolutely absurd. Over my own sweatshirt, he pulled one of his over my head followed by an enormous puffy, white jacket. In a matter of moments, I was transformed from a girl into a marshmallow. He placed not one, but two hats on my head and wrapped a large scarf around my neck. He, of course, didn’t need a coat.

“Should I text Charlie that I will be spending the night elsewhere?”

He shrugged, putting one mitten on my hands, and then another, “Wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

I lifted my eyebrows in surprise, “Why Edward Cullen you wouldn’t think of performing any dastardly deeds, now would you?”

He plucked a pencil off of a nearby table and placed it in the pocket of the hoodie. "Here. A wooden stake to protect you in case my deeds become dastardly.”

Edward squeezed my shoulder and kissed my hat, “Ready?”

I nodded eagerly and he scooped me up in his arms. He used his chin to tuck my face into his neck and gave me one more peck before dashing out the door. How Edward managed to flit through the forest at top speed carrying the great white ape was beyond me, but in a matter of minutes, we were standing in front of the sweetest little cabin in the middle of the woods. He pulled me inside.

He immediately set to work building a fire. I realized that the fireplace was really the only thing in this room, that and a giant bed.

"What is this place?" It looked like it was pulled right out of a fairytale. Although, I supposed, so did Edward. 

"Esme built this for Carlisle a couple of decades ago," he explained, fiddling with the kindling, "it's a place for any of us to go when we're looking for, um, privacy." 

He let that simmer for a few beats. 

“Sorry,” He apologized. “This place doesn’t have any power, because it never needed any. It will warm up shorty but until then…”

He flashed across the room and sat on the edge of the bed. “Bella, my love, remember you are in charge of this relationship.” He patted the stop beside him. “Would you like to join me?”

“Are you asking if I would like the spend the night here? With you?” I whispered.

“We will do whatever you feel comfortable with, Bella. We could even leave if that’s what you want.”

I nodded. I removed the hats and the scarves and this ridiculous coat so I could walk over the meet him as sensually as I could. Which, probably wasn’t very sensual at all. “If I didn’t know any better, I would say the monster was trying to have his way with me.”

Wickedness flashed in his eyes, “Mmm, I don’t know about that,” he purred. In one of his impossibly quick movements, I curled up on his lap in the middle of the bed. He placed slow, gentle kisses across my cheek. When he reached my lips, he kept his hovered right over mine, barely touching, it was torturously tantalizing.

“I can think of many unsavory things I can do to you right now,” he spoke, my lips moving in tandem with his. Finally, he pressed his lips against mine. His kiss was gentle like my lips were a flower and if he pressed too hard he would bruise the delicate petals.

I decided to show him exactly where I wanted this evening to go and pushed myself up to deepen the kiss. My hands dropped to the hem of his T-shirt and slipped under it, sliding against his perfect abs and sides. Carefully, he lifted the hem of his shirt, slowly drawing it off his body. My hands stroked slowly up his torso, my fingertips running over evert divot, each defined muscle. He opened his mouth. The darting motion of his tongue was enough to drive me insane. I wanted more, I needed more. I threw my arms around his neck to press my body against his.

All of a sudden, his lips froze.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise I SWEAR this is the last chapter where Jacob mean.


	18. Incoming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These characters and ideas all belong to Stephanie Meyer

**E-POV**

_“There’s one all on his own. How convenient.”_ The thoughts to the stray vampire froze my already dead heart. I tore Bella off the bed.

“Edward?” Her voice was confused, but unfortunately, I had no time to explain.

 _“He’s there with a human.”_ The vampire told his companion.

_“Are the Cullen’s actually coming around?”_

_“No, it smells like Vervain. It’s not a human for drinking”_ Fuck. They already smelled the human. I tried to listen to figure out if one of them had an enhanced sense of smell, but their thoughts were both on their stealth. I shoved Bella’s arms in the sleeves of her coat, trying not to be careless in my haste.

 _I hope it’s not the telepath in there_. I allowed myself a brief smile at that, and then broke down the door and rushed Bella and myself out of the cabin. They would be on my trail soon, but if I could get Bella to a car, there might be a chance she could get away. They smelled the Vervain on her—thank god—they won’t want her blood. As I was calculating the quickest, most complicated route home, I heard Emmett’s and Rosalie’s thoughts were approaching. I intercepted their path easily.

“Alice—” Rose started, but I tucked Bella into her arms before she could finish. “

Get her to Esme. Now.” I all but snarled. For once, Rosie didn’t argue with my decision. I heard Bella cry out my name when Rosalie took off.

“How many?” Emmett asked. We were taking a new route back to the other vampires so we could cut them off.

“I heard two.”

“Easy. Go be with your human; I can take them.”

“I’d rather be safe than sorry, Em.”

_What a priss._

Before I could roll my eyes, they were upon us. There were two: a male and a female. The female’s eyes widened at the sight of Emmett and she was suddenly thrilled for this mountain to dismantle. She sprung for Emmett. Meanwhile, I went for the male. His attacks were thoughtful, which was perfect for me. He considered my weaknesses and decided I was faster than I was strong. So, it would be a sparring match, then. I smiled.

He decided to go for my “pretty face” first. I was careful to not cut off his attack too quickly as I had with my last encounter. I couldn’t have him figure out which Cullen I was just yet.

I could see Emmett trying to pin down his opponent, but it was like watching a game of whack-a-mole. Her moves were swift, smart, and feline. But Emmett’s brawn has yet to meet its match, and I doubted that would happen tonight.

I focused back onto my own fight, his fist flew towards my face, but I deftly side-stepped and tore off the offending hand. He growled and dove at me with his teeth bared. I ducked out of the way and put my hand where he was planning to bite to grab his jaw and I ripped it off. I threw it deep into the woods. He won’t be able to talk, but that won’t stop me from getting the information I’ll need later on. He was distracted by my quick movements and his suddenly missing face long enough for me to kick his legs out from under him. I stepped on him, one foot on his chest, the other foot on his wrist. Done.

I listened to his mental voice while he was writhing in agony, and realized with a start that this was not the male voice I heard earlier.

Fuck.

There was a third! I tore off into the woods towards the house, towards Bella. Soon, I found his voice. The vile creature had split up with his partners and was chasing after my beautiful Bella I watched through the detestable villain’s eyes as he caught up to Rosalie and pulled her by her long, blonde hair. Rose twisted gracefully and allowed Bella to tumble out of her arms. The vampire snatched Bella from the air, she cried out in pain, and my legs kicked into overdrive at the sound. He gave her a sniff, was repulsed by the scent of Vervain on her blood, and threw her to the ground. The male vampire was now focused on Rosalie, so I could not see what happened to Bella. I prayed that my darling was crawling away to hide.

I switched over to Rose’s thoughts in time to see her throw an elbow in the vampire’s face followed by a swift kick to the gut. He stumbled back from the impact and smiled venomously. I switched over to his head to hear him pride himself on bringing his secret weapon. Rosalie took another step to position herself for a roundhouse kick. Before she could her attack, the vampire pulled a small pouch of and threw its contents at her face. Rosalie shrieked, clawing at the invisible flames she felt on her face. Vervain. He pulled her up to leer at her one last time before he finished her off. _“Pity, what a beautiful face to waste.”_

Suddenly, there was a sharp pain on his back. He released Rose and whirled at the offender. A small, human girl was standing behind him, holding a pencil covered in his blood.

NO! I screamed. What was she thinking? What was she doing? He would die from her stab to the heart, but not quickly enough. He still had enough time to take her down with him.

“You little bitch!” he snarled, about to lunge at her. I prayed for a miracle; I was seconds from grabbing her.

My miracle came in the form of Rosalie, who took advantage of this distraction to kick his legs out from under him. Now, they were both sprawled on the ground. He screamed in fury once more as I burst through the trees and snatched up my Bella. Then, I heard the distinct crack of a human bone and Bella scream in pain. The sound ripped through me, stopping me in my track. I turned to see the vampire’s hand wrapped around my darling’s tiny calf. In his final dying moments, he broke my angel.

Red filled vision. I wanted to destroy this monster. I wanted to remove all evidence that he ever even existed. Bella’s tiny whimper brought me back to reality. She was hurt; she needed me to help her, not avenger her. I left this shithole to die, just not as slowly and as painfully as I wanted him to. I ran as quickly as I dared with my delicate cargo, careful not to jostle her. I prayed that Alice had seen this play out, and Carlisle was at the house awaiting my beautiful patient. In fact, I swore I could hear Jasper’s distant thoughts coming up towards me and running past towards the scene of the attack.

“Carlisle!” I screamed as I approached the house. Bless him, bless Alice, bless all of the gods in the heavens and below—Carlisle was waiting for me in his Mercedes with the engine running and the passenger door wide open. I ran right into the car. Carlisle peeled the engine and we shot out of the driveway before I could properly shut the door.

“Alice just called. Thankfully Esme and I were already back at the house,” Carlisle told me. “I have one of the nurses prepping a space for Bella right now.” Carlisle thought about the nurse in his mind; the poor thing had such an obvious crush on him, and he felt guilty for exploiting that crush. _I_ was relieved.

“Edward,” Bella mumbled. Her head was still tucked under my chin.

“I am so sorry, sweetheart. I am going to fix you right up, I promise.”

“You’re premed,” she complained.

“Don’t worry, Bella,” Carlisle chuckled. “I will be the one actually fixing your leg. Edward’s your emotional support.”

“Thank god,” she sighed. I sprinkled her face and hair with gentle kisses the entire drive, to comfort both her and myself. She was alive. She was safe. She will be okay.

We arrived at the hospital in record time. Oddly enough, Bella seemed as familiar as the process as Carlisle was. She patiently bore the weight of the protective apron and didn’t bat an eye as Carlisle fired up the x-ray equipment. It wasn’t long before we had an image of my darling’s cracked bone. Looking at it made me anxious—it was horrifying how breakable humans were. After that, I followed Carlisle into the prepped exam room with Bella tucked safely into my chest—Carlisle’s lovesick nurse has prepped it with all the necessary supplies to bind a broken bone. Carlisle retrieved a needle’s worth of morphine, to numb the pain. Bella’s break was clean, but Carlisle still needed to set the bone so it could heal properly. I laid Bella on the paper-covered vinyl exam table.

As Carlisle stuck the harmless little needle in her arm, Bella’s eyes squeezed tightly in the first distress I’d seen all night. I wanted to roll my eyes. My love stabbed a vampire through the back with a pencil without hesitation but flinched at a little needle. My beautiful, perfect, backward Bella.

“That should take effect quickly, then we can get to work, Bella.”

“I can’t believe in just one semester of college I’ve encountered three horny vampires,” Bella mused in her drugged-up stupor.

I frowned. “Three?” I asked. Was there an attack I missed or was just the drugs talking?

She smiled at me sleepily, “What? You’re not horny?”

All I could do was shake my head at that.

Carlisle was fighting a smile. “All right, it sounds like the morphine as taken hold,” he continued on professionally, “This will hurt a bit, but the drug should take the edge off.”

He looked pointedly at Bella’s leg and I let go of her hand to hold it steady at her thigh. Carlisle’s hands jerked ever so slightly, and I heard Bella bone slide in place with a sickening crunching sound. I held Bella in a sitting position as Carlisle worked on the cast, first wrapping a protective lining around her leg, then beginning with the plaster.

_Edward. How long are you planning on keeping her human? This was the best-case scenario for a fiasco like this._

“I know, Carlisle,” I spoke in a low volume that Bella could not hear. It broke my heart to see her hurt at my hands. “We haven’t really talked about it, yet. I’ve been taking the cowardly way out of this,” I admitted, embarrassed of my weakness.

_That doesn’t sound like you, son._

I sighed, “I was planning on staying with her as a human until she explicitly asked me to become a vampire.”

_Doesn’t that seem a bit deceptive?_

“Rose gave me the idea. I was skeptical at first, but she did make some good points. I’m worried that if I’m the one to bring it up, she’ll think it's what I want, and turn for me. But I don’t want her to turn for anyone but herself. I don’t want to put any pressure on her.”

Carlisle thought about that for a few moments as he worked. He didn’t have to ask if I would still want her in sickness or old age, because he knew the answer. If the roles were reserved, he would want Esme always and forever, and he knew it would be the same for Bella and me.

Instead, he asked a different question. _And what will you do in the end?_

“I will follow her as soon as I can,” I admitted.

Carlisle did not like the answer. I knew he would mourn me, but he could not expect me to live on endlessly without my mate. And if she did not wish for immortality, I no longer had any use for it.

Carlisle finished the cast faster than any human doctor could dare to dream. Bella’s head lulled back, sleepy from morphine.

“Thank you,” I whispered to Carlisle.

_Anything for you, son. Anything for her._

I smiled. “Not to exploit your generosity, but can I ask one more thing of you?”

His thoughts were confused but reassuring.

“I need to be sure she still feels safe with me after…” I couldn’t finish the thought. “Could you give us a moment?”

_That’s a simple favor. I’ll fetch the car and meet you out front. Take your time._

Carlisle left us.

I wound my fingers into Bella’s silky hair, “Bella?” I whispered. “I need you to be coherent for just one moment, sweetheart.”

She licked my wrist. “You taste cool and crisp. Like a cucumber.”

That would have to be coherent enough. “Do you still want to stay with me tonight? Or would you like me to take you home?”

“I am home.” Another lick.

I laughed. Whether it was out of relief that she still wanted me or at her adorable silliness, I wasn’t sure. Perhaps a bit of both. “Alright sweetheart, you can stay. As long as you still feel safe with me.” I lifted her from the hospital bed and cradled her against my chest, her head settled against my shoulder.

She licked my jaw, “I feel safe with you,” she whispered.

*******

“What kind of bitch-ass vampire attacks another vampire with Vervain?” I heard Rosalie complaining as we turned onto our long driveway. “It’s bullshit!”

I grimaced. Rose deserved a very extravagant gift for what she did for Bella tonight. Carlisle and I walked in the door to a macabre sight. Rosalie held one of Emmett’s feet in her hand, relocating the toe bones. The left side of her face was burned from the Vervain, but she otherwise looked okay.

Emmett did not look so good. Along with his detached foot, his right humerus popped out at a strange angle. Alice was perched on the arm of the couch beside him, pushing his nose this way and that, trying to get the shape right. I was glad Bella was sound asleep in my arms. She had seen enough horrors for one evening.

“Carlisle.” Rosalie breathed, relieved. “We were waiting for you to do the arm,” she rolled her eyes at her husband, “Emmett didn’t trust me with ‘the guns’."

“It is my responsibility as the eye candy of this family to treat the goods with the utmost care, baby.”

Rosalie smiled to herself. “Whatever.”

“Where’s Jasper?” I asked. I couldn’t hear his mental voice. “Gathering the vampire you tore apart,” Emmett answered. “He’ll want us to be there when he questions him.”

“Fine. I’ll get her upstairs. Esme, could you watch her tonight? Make sure she’s alright?” “Of course.” Esme and I traveled up the stairs together. Once Bella was safely tucked into bed and my mother was lounged on my sofa with a book, I went down to meet my brother.

“So man,” Emmett asked while we ran through the trees, “What were you and Bella up to in the special cabin.”

I growled, not in the mood for this, “Just because I have to hear everything about your sex life doesn’t mean you’re going to find out anything about mine!”

“Touchy.” “Yeah, I’m touchy, you big galoot. My girlfriend almost died tonight! She’s at home with a broken leg because of me!”

“Dude, Bella loves you. She isn’t going to hold any of that against you.”

“Well, she should,” I snarled. I slowed us to a walk. I could hear Jasper’s metal voice now.

“Finally,” Jasper sighed when Emmett and I came into sight. He was sitting on the forest floor beside the vampire from my first encounter, using his enhanced empathy to keep this guy sedated. The feelings of peace and safety Jasper was emitting was so strong it was almost tangible. He was really laying it on thick; this vampire must have been livid. Jasper had gotten this vampire almost fully intact again: he was only missing his jaw and his left leg.

Jasper knelt beside him and forced this vampire to feel friendly towards the three of us. “Hey friend, I’m here to help you,” Jasper said, slipping into his Southern drawl.

The vampire was perplexed. He didn’t understand why he felt so amicable towards this stranger. All he knew what that he trusted this guy to keep him safe and that confused him more.

Jasper pointed at me, “My brother over there can read minds. So if you can just think for us who you are, and what you need in these parts, we can help you get on your way. Let’s start with your name. Can you think your name for us?”

_Laurent_

“Laurent,” I repeated for them.

“Laurent? Well, Laurent, I am pleased to meet you, My name’s Jasper. That’s my brother Edward, and my other brother Emmett. We’re here to help you. Let us hear your tale, and we’ll go and see if we can find these pesky missing parts of yours, you got that?”

Laurent began his tale for his bizarre new friend. I repeated the words he thought aloud for my brothers to hear.

 _“For over four hundred years I roamed the Canadian Wilderness on my own.”_ He smiled to himself. _“I’m a bit of a legend in those parts. Literally. You can study the spiritual traditions of the Algonquian-speaking First Nations. There, you will see legends of a cannibalistic monster that preys on the weak and socially disconnected. Yours Truly._

_“They were damn close, unfortunately, the tales of my own conquest soon transformed into essentially cautionary tales about isolation and selfishness, and the importance of community. However, it was fun to see some of my best work memorialized in their legends._

_“Idiots._

_“One day about three years ago, II was approached by a new vampire. He gave a cautionary tale of his own: a tale where our kind was dying out despite how strength and power. “He told me there was a great vampire, a powerful vampire with a dream. He said apart, we were growing weak, but if we could come together and create a large coven, we would grow stronger. Begin to live a life of luxury rather than living as beasts in the wilderness._

_“By the time I was recruited, he had gained enough followers to have others do the dirty work for him. He has incredible talent on his side. He began his coven by seeking humans with “potential” and turning them. Once, he had a suitable number of powerful followers, he sought out existing vampires to join his crusade. He has a vampire who can sense other vampire’s talents, he has a vampire who can shield themselves and others in a way that other vampires cannot sense their presence. He has vampires with dark powers even nightmares would fear. James—the vampire you just destroyed—is his most prized tracker._

As Laurent recalled his mission, Jasper’s control on his emotions was slipping. He was unable to quell the anger, the hate. Laurent’s thoughts became a great lightning-filled cloud of chaos and destruction. It took a while before he could control his thoughts into sentences I could comprehend.

_“When our master discovered the existence of your coven, he was elated. A telepath, an empath, and a psychic all with a close bond with one leader. All he would have to do was convince one of you, and he would gain seven skilled vampires. Until he discovered what monsters you truly were. Living among humans. Disgracing your power by feeding from animals. Killing your own kind._

_“When you killed Thomas in the woods, it crossed a line."_ Laurent recalled the face of the vampire who attacked Bella at the horrid party. His mate. _“Thomas could see relationships, and our leader found that enjoyable; he liked to see who was most loyal to him.” It broke his heart when he sent James, Victoria, and I to kill your coven. He would love to see you join our side, but your actions are inexcusable. You could barely defeat the three of us, and our leader will never give up. He has an arsenal of vampires at his disposal and is willing to create more for his cause._

_”_ _You will all be punished for what you have done to your brothers.”_


	19. Family Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These characters and ideas all belong to Stephanie Meyer

**B-POV**

Whenever I stayed the night in Edward’s room, I always asked him to keep the shades off the skylight over the bed open so we could see the stars on the rare clear nights. Now, in the morning light I could see snow swirling down. I looked up at Edward to see he was listening to music through wireless earbuds, looking as pale and beautiful as the winter wonderland surrounding us.

  
He didn’t smile or kiss me like he usually did when I first wake up. Instead, he took out one of his headphones and handed it to me. I accepted it graciously and placed it in my ear. The song was instrumental, morose. Edward began the piece from the beginning for my benefit. We stayed like that for most of the morning: snuggled together, listening to his melancholy music and watching the snow.

  
Edward was brooding. That much was clear. He was never happy when he saw me with a new bruise or scrape from my usual clumsiness; I couldn’t fathom how poorly he was handling a broken bone. But, much like those bruises and scrapes, my broken leg was not his fault, and I wanted him to know that he should not shoulder the blame like he was prone to do.

  
I took the earbud from my ear and motioned that I wanted him to do the same. He complied and looked down at me with wary eyes like he was bracing himself for something.  
“Edward, we need to talk about last night.”

  
He ducked under the covers. He pressed his face into my stomach and wrapped his arms around me. “I would prefer if we could hide in here instead and pretend like I never hurt you.” His voice was muffled by my shirt, “I am so sorry, Bella.”

  
I pulled the blanket over my head to join him in the darkness. “It’s alright.”

  
“No, it’s not,” he said, sternly.

  
I ran my fingers through his soft, bronze hair. “You didn’t hurt me.”

  
“Bella,” I could sense the extra effort he exerted to keep his voice soft, “You were hurt because of me. Because of what I am, another vampire attacked you. Because I am a vampire, you broke your leg, sweetheart.”

  
My fingers were still tangled in his hair. “I always seem to find a way to hurt myself, Edward. With or without vampires. That’s just how life is for me. But now, I have a vampire who will always do everything in his power to keep me safe.”

  
“Everything,” he swore, tightening his arms.

  
While I was racking my brain for something else to say, he surprised me by removing the covers from our heads himself. I wondered at the cause of this development, but my questions were answered when Alice popped into the doorway. I didn’t think I would ever be happy to be surprised by one of the Cullen siblings while Edward and I were in bed, but I was grateful for the reprieve.

  
“Mom wants you to help downstairs, Edward. Carlisle will be home in forty-five minutes,” she said out loud for my benefit.

  
Edward nodded glumly. He kissed my hair and disappeared in a blur. Good. Esme was always able to talk him up when he was in one of his moods.

  
I sat up in bed. “Thank you, Alice. I think Edward was prepared to wallow in bed until I got this thing off,” I gestured to my bulky cast.

  
“There’s still a chance of that.” Alice shook her head, “Nothing will stop Edward when he wants to wallow.”

  
She walked into the room, holding a pair of crutches. “We were able to snag these from the hospital.”

  
She helped me over to Edward’s bathroom, surprised at my proficiency with the crutches.

  
“This is my third time,” I explained. “Once when I was five, and another time in high school.”

  
“Then I guess you’re already used to this, too,” she said, holding up duct tape and a garbage bag. Someone—probably Edward or Esme—had already stocked Edward’s bathroom with the supplies for taking a shower with a cast, as well as my preferred shower essentials.

  
We worked together and eventually got me shower-ready. Alice sat on the vanity while I bathed, prepared to help in any way or to catch me if I slipped.

“So,” I began. It seemed like it would be easier to talk about last night’s events here with Alice before I tried to talk about them with Edward again. I hoped Alice would be able to give me a good perspective to help him feel better about the whole mess. “Who was that guy last night?”

  
“There was actually three of them.” She said.

  
Three? I swallowed. “Oh.”

  
“I’m not too sure on the whole story really, I mainly saw bits and pieces. We haven’t talked about it yet,” she admitted. “Because of Edward’s and my abilities, things can get blown out of proportion fairly quickly, so we wait until we’re all together to go over these things in a civilized manner, without discussing at all other beforehand. It’s one of our family rules. We were waiting for you to wake up, and then Carlisle got called into the hospital, so now we’re waiting for him.”

  
I couldn’t believe my ears. “You were waiting for me?”

  
“Of course, Bella. You’re part of the family.”

  
I was glad for the barrier of the shower curtain between us; I was embarrassed at how much her casual statement touched my heart, and I didn’t want Alice to see my expression. I couldn’t of anything to say, which was terrible because the silence gave me the chance to overthink the sentiment behind her words, and gave Alice the chance to regret speaking them at all.

  
It took Alice and me less time to get me ready than it did the other times I broke my leg. I was nervous that Alice was going to use my cast as an excuse to force me into one of the many designer dresses she bought that looked “like me”. To my surprise, my cast got my sympathy points instead. I was able to persuade her into letting me wear pair of Edward’s sweatpants tied up high above my waist and one of his flannels.

  
Once I was ready, she looked me up and down despairingly, “You’re dressed like a sad, old man.”

  
“It’s fitting; as I am dating one.” She giggled at that and there were no more comments on my appearance.

  
Too impatient to watch me hobble down their grand staircase, Alice lifted me into her slender arms and dashed us down in a flash. She placed me at the kitchen island beside Edward and flew out as quickly as she arrived. I was surprised to see Edward standing at the stove, hunched over a pot of boiling water. He smiled widely at my arrival.

  
I peered into the pot. “Edward, are you poaching?” I asked.

  
He nodded, staring into the boiling water, “For you, I would do anything.”

  
“Sauté?” I asked.

  
“I would sauté.”

  
“Baste?”

  
He nodded, “I would baste.”

  
“Do you even know what basting is?”

  
“No,” he answered honestly, “but I would to it. I don’t even care if it’s a trick, because I love you so much,” he added in a gooey voice.

  
“WHIPPED!” Emmett’s voice boomed from somewhere in the house.

  
“Says the man who is currently braiding Rosalie’s hair,” Edward called out.

  
Emmett called back, “Hey man, this is equally enjoyable for the both of us.”

  
Edward chuckled quietly at that, and I was relieved to see him in a much lighter mood. I would have to remember to ask Esme for some pointers making him feel better.

  
He nuzzled his face into my hair, “You should be resting, my love.”

  
Esme appeared by Edward’s side. She took Edward’s chin in her small hand and forced him to look back into the water. “And you should be focusing. You’ve already ruined four eggs; we’re not going to ruin a fifth.”

  
Edward smiled at Esme’s gentle chiding, “Yes, mom.”

  
Esme smiled back at her son then turned to me, “Come, my delicate flower, let’s get you settled. Carlisle will be here soon.”

  
Esme placed her hand on between my shoulders and guided me towards the door. Someone must have said something too quiet for me to hear, because Esme suddenly responded to seemingly no one, “No, no. We’ll be meeting in the living room. We want Bella to be comfortable.”

  
Esme made sure I was settled on the couch. She placed pillows all around me and then stacked a few under my broken leg to keep it elevated. Then, she tossed a large, knit blanket over me. She disappeared for a moment and returned with two mugs of coffee. She offered me the first and placed the second on the table. I wondered at the odd gesture; did she not want to make me feel like I was drinking alone?

“Edward’s cooking breakfast?” I asked.

  
She sighed fondly, “That boy wants to take care of you any way he can. He asked me for cooking lessons. We’re currently working through eggs.”

I recalled the many breakfasts Edward had prepared for me in the past. “That would explain all the scrambled eggs.”

  
Esme smiled, “That would be his best dish.”

  
I took a tentative sip of the Vervain coffee I had grown accustomed to. It was a bit too hot, so I reached over to place in on a coaster to cool, but it slipped out of my hand and the ceramic cup shattered on the floor.

  
Esme handed me the second cup, “Alice saw the event, but could not tell when.” I opened my mouth to apologize, but Esme shook her head, “No need to apologize, sweet girl, these things happen to everyone.”

  
“Yeah, but never to you people,” I muttered to myself when she disappeared.

  
When Esme returned to clean, Edward followed after her with a tray of food. On it, was a large bowl of fruit and two pieces of toast, one of them with a perfectly poached egg.  
He grinned apologetically, “We ran out of eggs before I could get a second one right.”

  
I beamed up at him, “I love it.”

  
He kissed my forehead and was off again; Esme followed after him.

  
As I took my first bite, Carlisle walked through the front door at a human speed. He brought with him an air of authority I hadn’t experienced before. I suddenly understood how this typically docile man was able to wrangle together this strange bunch of vampires into a coven. Once he noticed me nestled on their couch, his expression softened. He greeted me and asked how I was doing and how my leg felt. I answered his questions between bites of breakfast. He seemed pleased with my answers, or it could just be his infamous bedside manner.

  
Once I was finished, he took my tray into the kitchen. When he returned into the room, his children followed in after, like powerful, vampire ducklings. Edward wedged himself between my back and the arm of the couch, so I could lean into his side. Alice and Jasper joined us on the couch while Rose and Emmett settled into the love seat. Carlisle and Esme sat across from us in two matching wingback chairs.

  
“Now,” Carlisle called the meeting into order, “who would like to begin?”

  
Edward started the tale, with us in the cabin. He didn’t mention what we were doing there, and he didn’t need to; the flush on my face gave us away. Alice chimed in for a moment, to describe the visions she saw, and frantically calling the rest of the family to tell them their roles for the evening. Then, Edward recounted a short battle with a vampire. My fists were clenched the entire time, still worried about Edward’s safety despite the fact that I already knew the ending. Rosalie picked up the story from there, discussing the fight, the Vervain, and—to my great embarrassment—my pencil.

  
“Bella!” Emmett cheered, “Coming in clutch with those sick pencil stunts!”

  
Behind me, Edward shuddered at the memory and kissed my hair lightly. “We are not encouraging this, Emmett.”

  
Emmett scoffed at his brother and picked up the tale. He went into a lot more detail about his scuffle than Edward or Rosalie, getting up more than once to demonstrate his movements. His story ended with the rival vampire crushing both of his feet, rendering him defeated.

  
“She got away?” Edward asked through his teeth.

  
“Dude, that bitch was tough,” Emmett explained, defensively. “I’ve never been owned like that, besides fighting with you. She must some sort of freaky mind games thing going on.”

  
Edward wound his arm around my waist, muttering a string of profanities.

  
Jasper took it from there. He talked about picking up to pieces of the vampire Edward defeated to put him back together for questioning, and burning the one I killed. He explained to the family how he manipulated the vampire’s feelings to make him feel safe and open up. He then told a tale that made my stomach drop. I tried my hardest to keep my cool like the vampires around me so I wouldn’t embarrass Edward, but all I wanted to do was run from the room, dragging him with me. Maybe I should have taken him up on his offer of hiding under the covers in his room indefinitely.

  
“I could no longer keep a hold on his emotions at that point,” Jasper told the family, finishing the story. “He leaped to attack, but Edward caught the guy’s neck with his teeth and tore his head off. Emmett got a hold of the body and dismantled that immediately. We burned him as well.”

  
No one spoke for a long time. My mind had been screaming since Jasper began speaking. Someone somewhere wanted to hurt Edward. And that could not happen.  
“It’s clear what we need to do,” Carlisle declared. “I will find this other coven and discuss this like the rational creatures we all. I will explain our diet and our lifestyle to them, and in turn, listen to what they have to say. I will take full blame for the murders, for I let it happen despite my better judgment. Understand, you kids will not be killing another vampire again.”

  
“We are just going to let them run around killing innocent humans?” Rosalie objected.

  
Carlisle smiled fondly at his daughter, “You can save innocent lives in other ways, darling. You can join me in the ER. You and Emmett can go back to South America and build houses. You can donate to more charities. Killing vampires is not your only option.”

  
“Yeah, but none of those will ever be as cathartic,” she grumbled.

  
Behind me, Edward grunted in agreement.

  
“It is settled. Edward, I will need you to come with me, obviously. Rosie and Jasper as well.”

  
Carlisle’s voice rang with an authority I would never dare to defy, so I was surprised to hear Edward object behind me, “Carlisle, I cannot join you. I will not leave Bella while she’s hurt.”

  
“Edward,” Jasper spoke up, offended, “you are going to leave us high and dry? You give us a huge advantage simply by knowing what abilities we might be faced with.”  
“Seriously, Edward.” Rose criticized, “ You think any of us are thrilled to leave our mates? Contrary to popular belief, the universe does not revolve around Bella. Besides, it’s your fault this whole mess is happening.”

  
I silently cursed Rosalie. Edward didn’t need anyone pinning more blame on him; he did enough of that himself.

  
“I didn’t hear you object to destroying other vampires, Rose,” Jasper interjected.

  
“Not that!” Rose said, “He didn’t hunt them down the last time they attacked because we were too busy playing around with his new human. If he went when I told him to go, he could have prevented this.”

  
“Rosalie, I am not going to apologize for choosing a relationship with Bella over a futile vampire hunt.”

  
If what Rosalie said was true, and this all could have been prevented if Edward did not stay around for my sake. If any of the Cullen’s get hurt, it would have been my fault, and not Edward’s. And Edward, being Edward would mistakenly place the blame on himself, and I could not let him face that kind of pain. It was time for me to put on my brave face.  
“Edward you should go,” I said with as much confidence as I could muster. “You need to do what’s best for y—” I decided to test out Alice’s words from earlier—"for our family.” The words sounded strange coming out of my mouth, but deep in my chest, they felt right. I belonged here, with Edward, with this family. I peeked around the room to check the reactions of Cullen’s. None of them seemed perturbed by the statement, even Rosalie. The only reaction was Edward’s gentle squeeze around my waist.

  
Carlisle nodded. “We will leave first thing in the morning.” He got up and Esme quickly followed after. The others drifted out as well. The peaceful morning had shifted into a somber afternoon. The impending separation loomed over the family as dark and dismal as the perpetual clouds overhead.

  
“Do you think you’ll be back in time for school?” I asked Edward quietly when we were alone. We had a little over a week before our second semester started up. Edward and I had registered for a few classes together. It would be embarrassing to have to catch him up on the material he had missed, but I would do it for him. I would even consider forging his signature on any sign-in sheets so he wouldn’t be counted absent. He placed his cheek on my head, “Well, my love, I don’t know when I’ll be back.”

  
“You don’t know?” I wailed.

  
“Well, sweetheart, they’re nomads. Their coven could be anywhere in the world. Normal vampires don’t have permanent residences like we do,” he explained. “We don’t know how long it will take to find them.”

  
“You don’t know?” I repeated, a little quieter as the despair seeped in. Edward gone indefinitely? I kicked myself for putting on a brave face for the Cullen’s. How on Earth was I supposed to live through this? Edward and I barely made it through the single week apart at Christmas.

  
He must have been able to tell that a breakdown was imminent because he pulled me up into his lap to pepper my face with gentle kisses. “I am so sorry, Bella. I don’t have to go, my love. I will stay right here with you.”

  
“No,” I sniffed, “they need you.”

  
He squeezed me a little closer, “But I need you.”

  
“Am I going to have to tell everyone we broke up?” I whispered, feeling the tears well up. I wasn’t sure what I was going to have to tell my friends about Edward’s abrupt absence in my life.

  
“No!” he objected, clearly horrified by the idea. “That is not what’s happening at all, my love. Couples go long distance all the time.”

  
“Then what do I say?”

  
He kissed away the tears that fell, “You can tell everyone at school whatever cover story you want.”

  
I sniffed. “I’m going to tell everyone you joined the circus,” I teased, hoping that jokes would distract me from the pain. They didn’t seem to be working.

  
“Then I’ll make sure to wear a clown costume every time I visit,” he answered between gentle kisses.

  
That was the thinnest sliver of a silver lining, “You’ll visit?”

  
“Every chance I get, sweetheart. You have no idea how much I am going to miss you.”

“Really?” I mumbled.

  
“I love you, Bella. No amount of distance or time is ever going to change that,” he vowed.

  
For the remainder of the afternoon and well into the evening, Edward let me stay curled up on his lap with my tear-soaked face hidden safely in his cold neck. He spoke often, answering the unspoken thoughts of Jasper, Rosalie, or Carlisle as they researched or sniffed around or whatever else vampires do to find other vampires. I was unable to focus on the movies Alice played for me or taste the food Esme prepared. I was busy drowning myself with Edward. I refused to break any of my senses away from him for I needed to memorize everything about him in these few final moments we had together.

  
Eventually, Edward rose from the couch, placing me gently against the cushions. When he returned with my coat, and Carlisle an Esme appeared at his side, each handing him a different bag—medical supplies and food, I assumed.

  
Esme brushed my hair out of my eyes, “I’ll be there for you tomorrow morning, darling.” I nodded and thanked her quietly.

  
When I was packed and bundled up, Edward took me home. It was Saturday night, and like most Saturday nights, Charlie was off somewhere will Billy—either away ice fishing or on the Reservation. Edward carried me up to bed and unpacked all of my bags.

  
Once he was finished, he joined me on my small twin bed. Although my tears had long run dry, I was expecting to spend the night like we had the rest of the day: mourning our relationship.

  
Instead, he propped himself up onto his elbow so he was looking down at me, “I believe we were in the middle of something last night before we were so rudely interrupted.”  
“Really? Now?” I asked, incredulous.

  
“Only if you want to.” He brushed my hair back and began kissing my neck. “I cannot think of a better way to show you how much I love you before...” he left the thought unfinished.

  
“This might actually be the least sexy I have ever been in my life.” I tugged at the sweatpants I was wearing, “These are yours.”

  
I felt his lips turn up into a smile against my jaw. “They look better on you than they do on me.” I highly doubted that.

  
“At least I shaved my legs yesterday…” I mused. “It had been a while before that.”

  
“Mmmm,” he purred, “you’re doing an incredible job at foreplay.”

  
I guessed it was best to show Edward my approval of this development with my clumsy movements, rather than my clumsy words. My hands shook as I removed my flannel shirt, and then the plain white t-shirt underneath it. Edward helped me remove the sweatpants, moving carefully around my cast. He looked into my eyes, searching, and inevitably found what he was looking for because he swiftly removed his clothes as well.

  
“Bella, I need to know that you’re happy with this,” he whispered.

  
“Yes,” I replied, just as softly, “I love you.”

  
Edward slid a hand slowly down my stomach and across my abdomen. He stoked my most tender flesh with a slow, careful motion. He rested the tip of his finger at my entrance, swirling ever so gently.

  
After several beats of the tantalizing motion, my body relaxed, turning into putty in his hands. He withdrew his finger and adjusted his position. He pushed my legs to either side of his hips. As he settled against the inside of my thighs, my body tensed in anticipation, and he stopped.

  
“I’ll go slow, my love. Please tell me if it hurts.”

  
Slowly, he pushed forward, gasping when he entered.

  
“Bella?” he asked.

  
“More.” The word was no more than a breath falling from my mouth.

  
Our pace remained slow, but that did not make it any less passionate. Edward kissed me carefully while my hips rocked with his, easily falling into a twinned rhythm. My lips wandered from his mouth, desperate to taste more of him, towards his jaw and then his ear. I nibbled at the lobe and licked the sensitive spot behind it. Edward groaned deliciously and pushed against me a little harder.

  
My muscled pulled in a way I could never describe. He removed himself from me ever so gently. It was like nothing I’ve ever experienced before, making love with Edward. He was my everything. I already knew that, but this act cemented it even deeper inside of me.

  
He looked at me as if he was thinking the same thing. “I love you, Bella.” He flipped us over, letting me rest on top of him.

  
“I love you, too.” I murmured before I drifted into sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact, in my first outline, I was going to have Edward break up with Bella for her own good like the plot in New Moon. However, the ending of Midnight Sun broke my heart so badly, I rewrote the plot. Sorry, everyone! Edward will not be a perfect character; his flaws will rear their ugly heads later in the tale but I just could not bring myself to make him leave her 


	20. Separation Anxiety

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! Let me start off by saying that I am so, so sorry I took such a long time to post these chapters. But there was a good reason! I said at the end of my last chapter that I took out the concept of Edward dumping Bella for her own good. But after I took all of that out and all the heartbreak and angst, what I was let was so boring. Painfully boring. I wanted my story a little lighter, a little more fun, and definitely not boring, so I took an extra few weeks to bring some fun into them. 
> 
> Anyway, I have some stuff on the close horizon that will definitely be worth the wait. Thank you for your patience and understanding and I hope you enjoy it! 
> 
> These characters and ideas all belong to Stephanie Meyer

**B-POV**

I imagined the second semester of college was going to be a cakewalk. I already knew where all of my classes would be held and the best times to go to the dining hall. The broken leg and vampire-hunting, vampire boyfriend were the only foreseeable issues on the horizon.

I was currently sitting in the back of the Cullen’s shiny, silver car driving with Alice and Emmett to our first day of class. Half of the Cullen’s had been off in the world for over a week now, while the other half (myself included) continued on with our daily lives in Forks like nothing was amiss.

It was obvious that Edward was trying his hardest to keep me from falling into the pit of despair. Gifts were being delivered to my house almost every other day and we would talk on the phone whenever he could. As sweet as his efforts were, they didn’t make up for the fact that he was gone and didn’t know when he would be back. I missed him terribly, and the only thing that would make me feel better was _him_. However, when talking with Edward, I fought through the agony and tried to sound as upbeat and positive as possible. I knew he would race home at the faintest trace of longing in my voice. If I let him fall to my own weakness and return and something unspeakable happened to his family, he would only blame himself. And I refused to let him feel any pain for something that would be all _my_ fault. So, the brave face was on and Edward knew nothing of the hole in my heart.

Despite Edward’s absence, the vampire presence in my life had not diminished. Between Alice—my new caretaker, Esme—my new housekeeper, and Emmett—my new chauffeur, I was hardly ever alone. I was being spoiled rotten, and I was certain it was all Edward’s fault.

At first, Charlie was very confused about the abundance of breathtakingly beautiful people attending to my every need. He didn’t understand why the family of my new boyfriend would take care of me while my boyfriend seemingly disappeared. Whenever he raised a concern, Alice would simply explain that this was all perfectly normal behavior. Either she was very convincing, or Charlie was not as concerned as he originally led on, because after talking to Alice, he wouldn’t address the matter again.

Emmett drove the car straight to the dining hall to let me out before he went to park. Angela and Jess had invited me for breakfast this morning, hoping this could be a little start-of-the-semester tradition. They ran to the car to help me out. Alice had spoken to them over break about my ‘accident’, and the three of them had rearranged their schedules to coincide with mine so I would never have to get to a class alone. It was embarrassing and entirely unnecessary.

Once we were safely inside, hugs and squeals were shared by all. Jess, of course, asked about Edward immediately, confirming our relationship made it through winter break. Because of her huge, obvious crush on Edward, I couldn’t be too sure which answer she wanted to hear. However, she looked thrilled when I confirmed, yes, we are still very much together.

While we were still quickly catching up in the vestibule of the building, a familiar figure pushed open the front door and sauntered over to us.

“Jake!” Angela sang. She ran over to give him a hug and a kiss.

Yuck.

“Hey ladies!”

“Hi, Jacob,” Jess and I chorused, one of us more enthusiastic than the other.

He looked at the two of us and frowned, “I thought you said boyfriends were invited to this, Honey.”

Angela tucked her dark hair behind her hair and blushed, “They were, don’t worry.”

“Mike is only taking Tuesday / Thursday classes this semester,” Jess said, “I haven’t decided if that move was brilliant or insane. Regardless, he’ll be sleeping till noon.”

“What about your _man_ , Bella?” He made a face at the word _man_. I ignored him. I wasn’t in the mood to see his smug smile when I informed the group that Edward will not be attending any activities in the near future. The fact made my chest hurt.

Instead, I hobbled over towards the main dining hall entrance. My broken leg prevented us from using the staircase up the main floor, so the four of us took the elevator. On the short way up, they all looked at me expectantly, waiting for my answer.

“Edward won’t be able to make it, either,” I admitted, staring straight at the seam between the doors.

“Whoops.” Jessica squeaked.

I didn’t like how guilty she looked all of a sudden. “...Jess.”

“I may have let it slip in the group chat that Edward Cullen would be at my breakfast date this morning.” The elevator doors opened to reveal a group of about twenty girls sitting around our usual table.

“Jess! Is all of Zeta Pi Beta in your damn group chat?”

The words gushed out of Jessica as they often did, “I’m sorry, Bella! It was totally heinous to do that, but Heidi went to Italy during her winter break and I sat at home eating cookies! I needed something!” She gauged my expression. “Do you hate me?”

I sighed. No, I could never hate Jessica. Her bubbly sweetness made that impossible, “Of course not, Jess.”

“Sorry,” she squeaked once more.

Once we got to the table, Jessica and Angela fluttered around me, taking my coat, helping me with my crutches, fetching me food. I would never know peace while this stupid cast was around my leg; I turned bright red at the thought. The girls at my table stared and whispered, probably doubting that Edward Cullen would ever date a pathetic, broken loser like me. My blush deepened.

One of the braver—or possibly ruder—girls had enough speculation, “Where’s Edward Cullen?”

“Yeah, Bells. You finally dump that guy?” Jake asked me in front of the group.

“No,” I replied icily.

“He dump you?” Asked a different girl I met once. Her expectant tone was definitely an insult.

“No!” Angela returned to the table and placed a tray filled with enough food for both of us between us. She encouraged me to pick whatever. “Where is Edward?” she asked, her demeanor as friendly and non-assuming as always.

“He’s not coming back this semester.”

The girls around the tables gasped in horror. Jessica looked like she was about to break down. “What?! No! He can’t do that! How am I supposed to date him vicariously through you now!?” she wailed.

I patted her shoulder, “I can’t imagine how hard this must be on you, Jess.”

Panic ensued around the table. Questions were being thrown left and right on where he was and how he could do such an awful thing.

“Where is he?” Angela asked calmly over the hysteria.

“Um.” The sudden influx of strangers switched my brain into idiot mode. I could not for the life of me recall the very thought-out, very noble lie Alice and I had planned to excuse Edward’s absence. I was going to have to wing it, and that was not going to go well for anyone.

“He fail out?” Jacob prompted.

“No!” I said a little too defensively. “He’s still enrolled in school.”

“Well, he still lives in Forks with you,” Angela pointed out, “So, you’ll still see him a lot, right?”

“No, he’ll be, um, out of the country.”

“Oh,” the confused crease between Angela’s brows went away as she connected the dots, “he’s studying abroad.”

She declared it as if it were true, and I wasn’t about to argue. “Yes,” I said, pleased with her excuse.

“Wait,” another girl chimed in, “He wasn’t in that mandatory study abroad course.” I didn’t understand how this girl would know Edward’s schedule, but I didn’t have the energy to unpack all of that right now.

“Well, it’s not for school.” I racked my brain for a story that would make Edward look good and honorable. “He’s over in sub-Saharan Africa… sewing mosquito nets for, um, children.”

“That doesn’t make sense. Why does he have to go over there to sew them?” a different girl asked.

“Yeah, Bella. That doesn’t make sense.” Jacob agreed, grinning widely at my obvious lie. “I’m pretty sure they make them here and send them over.”

“Well… he also has to show them how… to… hang them up.” I cringed internally at my own stupidity.

I was met with twenty-three blank stares.

Thank the heavens and all the gods above that Angela didn’t like to pry, “Well, whatever.” She waved off the story. “I’m just glad you two are still together.” She smiled at me with genuine warmth.

I smiled back at her, “We are. We spent basically the entire winter break together before he left.” I sighed at the memories, “It was magical.”

Little gasps and questions fluttered around the other side of the table, asking what we did, what he was wearing. And so, like Sandy to the Pink Ladies, I told this group of girls all about my perfect break with Edward. They oohed and aahed at the appropriate places, totally enraptured. I never had such a captive audience in my life.

**E-POV**

Forty-one days, ten hours, and twenty-six seconds.

That’s how long it had been since I last saw my Bella. My eyes burned to see her. My arms ached to hold her. My ears rang to hear her. The past few weeks were torture as I sought to keep my love safe.

We had started our search for the other coven by researching areas with a large number of strange disappearances or deaths, which typically meant vampire feeding. Alice was able to narrow down our search ever so slightly, by telling us if our clues would lead us to vampires. However, we actually had to go to each location to see if the scents matched up with any others, and how old the trails were. We ran into the female’s scent from the attack in Forks twice now, each time with four or five different scents, telling us this coven was terribly large. Both times, the trails were several days old as the coven continued to unknowingly evade us. Our most recent clue brought us to Nuuk, Greenland. The snow and ice destroyed any trail before we could even pick one up. Our only hope would be finding the vampires between storms, which were dismal odds in the middle of winter in Greenland.

I was miserable. The only thing that brought me any sort of solace during the futile search was talking on the phone to Bella. Alice had given me a schedule of times of which I was allowed to call. According to her, I didn’t want to come off as ‘overbearing’, which didn’t make any sense to me at all. Didn’t girls want to know their boyfriends missed them? I obeyed the schedule nonetheless, too terrified to mess up my relationship in any way.

It was troubling that Bella didn’t appear to miss me as much as I missed her. I knew I should be happy to hear her happy, but I couldn’t help but worry. I voiced these concerns to Alice almost as frequently as I spoke to Bella, hoping for ideas of anything I could do to keep myself as a contender for Bella’s heart. Each time, Alice brushed off my concerns with a laugh and would say something along the lines of, “You two are perfect for one another. You’re both loons,” which most people would agree is not something one should say to someone facing an almost lethal amount of distress.

I was thrilled that Bella had called _me_ today, so I didn’t have to wait four painful hours for my next scheduled call. Jasper, Rosalie, and I were sitting at a small table in an old library while Carlisle used the only computer to search for a new lead. The internet here was slow, leaving me plenty of time to talk with my love. She had just finished going over the details of her day when she made a small sound of displeasure.

My muscles tensed, ready to spring up and race back to her. “What wrong, my love?”

“This white peach I’m eating is entirely flavorless.” I could hear her smack her lips. I pictured how her lips moved, and how delicious they looked.

“Oh no. I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”

Jasper leaned over the table across me to stage-whisper to Rosalie, “Will you please tear my head off so I don’t have to listen to this anymore?”

“Where are you?” Bella asked over the phone.

Rosalie leaned across me to whisper back to Jasper, “I can’t, because if I rip off your head, who’s going to rip off mine?”

I ignored my siblings, “I’m in a library in Greenland.”

“I’m in a library too! The school library!” Bella chirped into the phone.

Her obvious excitement over the small coinsidence touched my heart, “Aw!”

Jasper leaned in again, “Let’s count to ten and rip each other’s head off at the same time.”

Bella continued on the phone, unaware of my sibling’s conversation, “I’m going to be in here late all week. I have a big group project due Friday, and all my partners keep ditching me...”

Jasper and Rosalie reached over me and grabbed each other’s heads. “One…two…” they began in unison.

“For the love of god.” I hissed at my siblings. Then, to Bella, “My darling, my everything, I have to go. I love you so much.”

“Six...” They said together while I hung up the phone.

“Children,” I said to my brother and sister, “you’re both children.”

Neither of their thoughts were very apologetic. “Do you have any idea what I usually have to listen to?” I seethed. I was about to start listing off each and every one of their sappy daydreams during this trip when Carlisle’s voice stopped me short.

“Kids…”

“Sorry,” we all murmured.

I had not been paying attention to what Carlisle was reading during my conversation with Bella, but his thoughts sounded pleased, which was surprising. He sat at the table across from us, his face bright and his thoughts hopeful, “I found a lead, kids, a good one.”

The three of us perked up.

“This morning, someone discovered three bodies drained completely out of blood in their fishing lodge a couple miles north of us.”

“Classic vampires,” Jasper stated.

“According to this article,” he continued, “The bodies were not yet frozen, meaning they had to be killed fairly recently.”

That might have been the best part of the news. Jasper and Rose stood from the table, ready and raring to go and end this ridiculous search. The three of them studied an Atlas to calculate the quickest route to get to this tiny town with the deaths. While they were busy with that, I used the computer to schedule a few more deliveries for Bella. When we were all finished, my siblings and I looked at each other with genuine warmth and excitement for the first time in weeks.

We escaped out the back door to follow our prey.

**B-POV**

One late night in March, Jessica, Angela, and I were working late in the campus library. Jacob had spent this semester following Angela’s every step like a puppy and was napping on a lounge chair nearby. I hadn’t heard from Edward in two whole days and was growing restless. Luckily, Jessica and Angela blamed my one-woman “group” project for my bad attitude and did not ask any questions.

There was a commotion at the front entrance of the library and the three of us turned to see a delivery boy making a scene. The lady at the front desk was obviously peeved, while this poor kid was just trying to deliver this food to whatever shmuck was dumb enough to order food to a public student library.

“Isabella Swan?” he called through the book stacks.

I turned bright red at the sound of my own name. Jessica and Angela immediately pointed at me, I tentatively raised my hand. He placed an enormous tray of sushi and a box of cookies on the table, handed me a note, and hurried back out the door.

“Woah, Bella!” Jessica’s eyes were huge, “Did you get this for us?”

“No…” I admitted, “This must be a mistake.”

“Read the note,” Angela suggested.

“Oh yeah.”

**_I love you and miss you more with each passing second._ **

**_Your Edward._ **

“It’s from Edward,” I told my friends. Jess and Angela both cooed at Edward’s gesture as they always did when he did something over-the-top like this.

Angela stood up from our table. “Well, let me and Jess get us some drinks. It’s the least we could do since Edward paid for dinner.” She walked over to where Jake was sleeping and shook his shoulder. “Babe! Food!”

Jacob bolted upright, “Food?”

She shook her head laughing and pointed to the table. “Jess and I are gonna run to the CR and get some drinks. Want anything?” We both gave our drink orders and Jessica and Angela made their way out of the building.

Jacob looked up and down the table, “Jesus, there’s like twenty rolls. How much of this did you girls think you were gonna eat?”

I blocked the food from him by creating an X over it with my arms, “I’m not sure you’ll want any of this, Jacob. It’s from Edward.”

Jacob had been pleasant to me around Angela during the past few weeks, but still noticeably grimaced at any mention of my boyfriend.

He scoffed, “Feeding his dinner some dinner?”

I glared at him, “Edward loves me.” I considered Edward and the things he said on our last night together. “Edward also says that you and I need to talk.”

Jake frowned and sat down across from me. “ _Edward_ thinks he knows everything, now doesn’t he?”

He reached over to grab a pair of disposable chopsticks, but I smacked his hand away. I made my demands, “No sushi before we talk.”

Irritated, Jake pressed both hands on the table and pushed himself up, “Fine. They sell Lunchables around here somewhere. I don’t need that freak’s fish.”

I groaned, “Jake, _come on_. I already know everything about Edward. Nothing you can say is going to freak me out!”

Anger glinted in his dark eyes. “You know the truth about that creep and you’re still dating him?”

I nodded as nonchalantly as I could. “I love him.”

“Are you insane?!” he wailed. Several shushes echoed throughout the library. “Are you insane?” he repeated in a whisper.

I crossed my arms and held my head up high, “What’s done is done. I love him, and there is nothing anybody can do to change that.”

“He could eat you…” Jake mumbled.

I threw a chunk of wasabi at his head. “He won’t!”

Jacob didn’t look very convinced.

“Regardless, we’re not talking about Edward and me, we’re talking about _you_ and me and what happened that made you throw away our friendship like it was Billy’s tuna casserole.” Jacob smiled slightly at my reference to his father’s early attempts at cooking, but it was short-lived.

“Come on, Jake! It can’t be that bad. You’re obviously not a vampire too. So, what is it?” I thought through the standard Halloween costumes, “Are you… a vampire hunter? Um… a witch? Well, a warlock, I guess, you’re a boy. A werewolf?”

Jacob looked guilty for a fraction of a second.

I gasped. It all clicked together. The legend he told Angela around the bonfire a few months ago was not only about the cold ones; it was also about wolves. “That’s it? Isn’t it? You’re the wolves in those stories, you’re a—”

“Shh!” he hissed.

“A werewolf” I mouthed.

“Christ, Bella,” his voice was high and tight, “Do you have any chill at all?”

“My best friend can turn into a wolf!” I whispered excitedly, and Jacob clearly didn’t share my enthusiasm. He was looking around the room nervously, as if an angry mob would appear just from speaking the word aloud.

“Scratch that, you have too much chill. You should be freaking out, Bella! Running away!”

Angela and Jessica walked through the library doors just then, their arms full of water bottles and soda cans.

Jacob smiled at his girlfriend and turned back to me, “Can we talk about this later?”

“When?” I pressed.

He rolled his neck and then both his shoulders, eyes still locked on Angela.

I threw another piece of wasabi at his head. “When?” I repeated.

“Jesus, you’re so pushy.” He sighed, “There’s a bonfire tomorrow at First Beach. You can come to that and we’ll talk.”

“Okay!” I beamed at him.

“From there, we will find you a decent sense of self-preservation, Leech-lover.”

“Leech-lover?” Angela asked, placing the drinks on the table, “What kind of nickname is that, Babe?”

“I used to eat leeches,” I blurted out and I regretted it immediately.

Jacob coughed to cover up a laugh. Jessica’s face twisted into obvious disgust; Angela eyed the sushi warily.

“You know what Ang, I just remembered I’m allergic to fish,” Jessica announced. “Will you come with me to get a snack?” Angela gave her roommate a small nod. The two hurried off to find anything to eat besides fish.

Jacob shook his head and chuckled darkly, “Isabella Swan, if you intend to stay in this supernatural world, we’re going to have to turn you into a better liar.”


	21. The Pack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, finally, after twenty chapters, I can bring out Jake's intended character. Sorry I made him such as ass for a long time! 
> 
> These characters and ideas all belong to, you guessed it, Stephanie Meyer

**B-POV**

Although my cast had been removed, Alice maintained her job as a caretaker--mainly all of the aspects that involved apparel, skin-care, and hair. It was irritating, entirely unnecessary, but also sort of sweet in her own manic-trickster way. She was over-the-moon about my plans to go to the bonfire in La Push because one of her sweaters that was “perfect” for a chilly night on the beach. I had no idea what made it any better than the sweaters I already had, but I complied, relieved she wasn’t buying me anything new.

I sat downstairs waiting for Alice to arrive, wishing she would hurry up. Jake was supposed to pick me up and take me to the bonfire in La Push himself so we had plenty of alone time to discuss his secrets. I was excited to finally shine a light on his mysterious abilities, so we could get over this together and be back to being best friends as the universe intended.

Charlie and Billy laughed happily in the other room. Seeing them together made me miss Edward more than the other couples I saw at school. Billy had the ability to draw Charlie out of his shell better than anyone else could. I never saw Charlie more comfortable with himself than when he was around Billy. With Billy, he was lively, upbeat, almost talkative. The more people brought into the mix, the fewer words he would say. But alone in the living room with Billy and me a safe distance away in the kitchen, Charlie was happily chatting along with his partner.

I liked to believe that Edward has a similar effect on me. People liked me more, now that I was with him. He brought out things in me that I never had before—I was interesting, fun, clever. All Because of Edward.

I could hear Charlie and Billy debating whether or not they should wait for Jacob to pick me up, or if they should leave immediately. The little restaurant they went to for most of their dates filled up fast on weekends, and they didn’t want to risk a long wait to get a table. But, they also wanted to see Jake.

I popped m head in through the living room door. “Edward’s sister is going to be dropping by if you wanted to wait and say hello,” I informed him.

That convinced Charlie to wait a little longer before their departure; he adored Alice.

Billy's smile disappeared. “You’re still dating one of those Cullen’s?”

“Of course I am.”

Billy tried to play off his fear, “Well, I hadn’t seen him around. I thought you had found the sense to dump that boy.”

Charlie gestured to flower-filled vases that overflowed the room, “Who did you think was sending us all these flowers, Hon? All my other lovers?”

I cringed, “Dad, please don’t say _lovers_.”

I was ignored. “I told you how well his family took care of Bella when she had her broken leg, Hon.”

Billy’s expression darkened, “Oh yes. Bella’s broken leg. How did she get that again?”

“The hiking accident,” Charlie said as if he was stating the obvious. “Bella and the outdoors don’t mix. It’s why she doesn’t go fishing with us.”

There was a light knock on the door, and two of my vampires stepped through.

“Esme!” I cried.

She encircled me in her arms, “Hi, Baby!” Alice followed her mother into the house, carrying a large, brown paper bag and a garment bag.

“Alice, Esme!” Charlie cheered.

Alice greeted Charlie politely and kissed me on my cheek. “I’ll be up in your room, laying out your outfit. See you up there in a few minutes!” She handed me the bag in her hand and hurried up the stairs at human speed.

I peeked in the bag and saw it was filled with containers of food. “Esme,” I disapproved, “My cast is off, you don’t need to cook for me anymore!”

Charlie happily took the bag from me. “Yes, but she can always cook for _me_. I don’t know how you do it, Esme. You must be Superwoman.” He lightly touched Esme’s shoulder. He didn’t flinch away from the unnatural chill of her skin; he was used to that by now with three vampires in and out of the house. He continued his praises, “Working full time at the school, managing a houseful of kids, cooking feasts. When do you sleep?”

I blushed deep red knowing Esme does not need to sleep, but she answered Charlie with a charming laugh, “Oh, I squeeze it in somewhere.”

She turned him towards the kitchen, “Here, let me show you what I brought.”

Charlie turned right back around. “Now hold on just a second,” He turned Esme around and handed me the bag once more, “First things first.” He led Esme into the living room where Billy sat; I lingered in the doorway. “Esme, this is my partner, Billy,” Charlie boasted.

Esme smiled warmly, but kept her distance, “Billy, it’s so nice to meet you. It’s a shame we haven’t met earlier. Charlie has told me so much about you.”

Billy’s face went pale. “Ch—Charlie told you about me? Like my children’s names and where I live?”

Charlie laughed off his boyfriend’s strange behavior, “Don’t be weird, Hon. I told her only the good things about you, ‘cause that’s all there is.”

Neither Esme nor I knew how to make this introduction less awkward. “Esme, what did you bring us?” I asked, hoping food would be enough of a distraction.

“Why don’t you go upstairs to Alice, My Flower, I’ll take care of everything down here,” She and I turned to the kitchen.

Charlie started to follow us, but Billy’s voice stopped him. “Jake will be here soon. Can you stay in the living room with me, Hon?”

I rolled my eyes at Billy’s superstitions and followed Esme’s instructions.

“Are they still in the same place?” I asked Alice while I changed into her clothes. A few days ago, she saw Edward, Carlisle, Rosalie, and Jasper sitting high up on a dark, snowy mountain. They hadn’t moved at all since then. I was worried that it was a glitch in her power—that they were dead or worse and she kept seeing them where they were last alive. She quashed that fear immediately, assuring me that she would _know_ if Jasper was dead.

“Yupp, still in the snow,” she nodded, “Remember it’s _good_ that they’re not moving or calling. It means that they found something, and they’re taking precautions.”

It was easy enough to make my brain understand that. My heart, however, was the one we had to convince. And it did not believe her.

“Jake! Don’t you come in here!” we heard Billy yell.

We both rushed out of the room towards the commotion.

“Oh, now you’re just being an old fool.” I heard Charlie scoff when I got to the top of the stairs, Alice trailing behind me.

Then, Charlie yelled out the front door, “Jake! Come in here and try the best chicken pot pie you’ll ever taste.”

“Just get the wolf out of here before things get out of hand,” Alice whispered behind me.

“Dad!” I called, running down the stairs. “Leave Jake alone. We’re going to be late.”

I hurried out the door, bidding farewell to the old men and vampires, and greeted the werewolf sitting in his car. I hopped into the front seat of his car and buckled my seat belt.

He looked at me disapprovingly. “You’re hanging out with all of them now?”

I shrugged, “They’re my family.” He groaned loudly,

“That’s so stupid, Bella. That’s so, so stupid.”

“So what? I have a vampire family and a werewolf best friend. Most people would be jealous.”

“No. Most people would lock you in a mental facility if they ever heard you talking like that.”

“Well, you can lock me up later. Tonight we are talking about you: Werewolf Jakey.”

“I guess,” Jacob said, putting his car in reverse and pulling out from the driveway. It was surprising how strange it felt to be riding in a car at a normal, human speed rather than insane vampire speed.

“Is it just you?” I asked.

“Nope. I have a pack.”

“Who’s in your pack?”

“Sam is our Alpha. Paul, Embry, Quil, Seth, and Leah are all in the pack under his leadership.” Seven werewolves? There were as many wolves as there were Cullen’s. My view of the world shifted once more as I considered how many supernatural creatures hid themselves in plain sight. I wondered how many more I would encounter.

“How did you all get bitten?” I asked, warily. It must have been a sad, scary night when eight kids from the reservation got attacked by a werewolf.

Jacob's car whined as we picked up speed on the highway. “We didn’t get bitten. We’re not like those leeches, Bella. Lycanthropy is genetic. We were all born as werewolves.”

“So Billy…?”

Jacob nodded, “My dad has the gene as well.”

So Charlie and I _did_ have similar tastes in men after all. Apparently, we both preferred those of the supernatural variety.

I wasn’t too sure if I wanted to know how long he had kept this secret from me, but I asked the question anyway.

“Did you always know you were a werewolf?”

“No.” My patience was running thin. Pulling information out of him was like pulling teeth. “Jacob, please don’t make this difficult. I’m your best friend; you are not going to scare me or freak me out or hurt me. _Just tell me_.”

He gave me a swift sideways glance. Some of the shreds of our friendship must have still been intact because he began speaking freely. “When I was fifteen years old, Billy sat me down and told me my body was going to go through some changes. I remember being absolutely terrified that he was going to have the “puberty” talk with me—you know, the birds and the bees and all that crap.

“It threw me off when he pulled out an old book from the cabinet under the TV. _Our Stories_ , he called it. Not very creative. It was filled with pictures of huge wolves and stories of them saving the tribe from the dangers of this world.

“I figured my Dad was either insane or he had chickened out of the puberty talk and decided to go with this. Either way, I was pleased that we weren’t going to talk about my changing body. For hours, I listened to him list werewolves by name and tell stories of their heroic deeds and adventures. I was surprised to hear the names of family members, but not surprised enough to mention it. For all I knew, they could have all been named after people from these stories.

“Then, he told a story about the pack leader, Ephraim. It was another story about facing the cold ones, but this one was different. This time they encountered a friendly family of vampires with golden eyes.”

“Edward.”

Jacob gave a reluctant nod before he continued, “Instead of the wolves killing the cold ones, he made a bargain with them. A deal. A—um—a treaty. These cold ones with the golden eyes were different, Ephraim told his pack. ‘They will not hurt us, we will not hurt them,’ he declared. He did not see the point of killing innocent beings for simply existing as something different.

“I remember thinking that the story Ephraim was the best story I’d heard so far; he sounded the most honorable, after all. But Billy went on to explain that that treaty was a black spot on our tribe’s history. A horrible weakness. ‘The Blacks were no longer Alpha’s after that,’ he’d said.”

“’ The Blacks?’, I asked him. Billy realized that I still thought he was speaking in myth and legend, so his next words were blunt, ’ You are one of our protectors, Jacob.’ I’d never seen that old man look so serious; it frightened me. ‘You are a shifter. You are a werewolf.’”

The car was deathly silent after that. I could pick out the slight shake in Jacob’s voice: deep down, this still frightened him

“What happened then?”

“I didn’t believe him, obviously. You and I had I normal summer, nothing changed about me that we didn’t go over in public school sex ed. You were getting more and more awkward while I was becoming a devilishly handsome young man.” He wiggled his eyebrows at me.

“Ha, ha.”

“I think being with you that summer kept my initial shift away somehow, because the day after you left, I suffered through six hours of bone-breaking pain and became a wolf for the first time. It was complete and utter agony.”

I gasped, “The shift hurts you?”

“Well, yeah Bella. My bones literally reshape and twist to form a wolf’s skeleton. It’s unbearable.”

I touched his arm, “Oh Jacob, I am so sorry.”

He took one hand off of the wheel to give my hand a gentle squeeze before he continued, “When you came back to live in Forks, it was too late. I was a werewolf. Billy told me I would be unable to control the change for a year and during that time and I would suffer through more pain I had ever experienced. I could feel it too, the wolf, always in me. I was more aggressive, stronger, and faster even when I wasn’t a wolf. But for the rest of high school, I was homeschooled. We all were: the pack. That’s how I got to know them.”

“Why?” “It was too dangerous for us to be around other people. We could hurt them. It’s why…”

I interrupted him, “You thought you were too dangerous for me?” I couldn’t believe he tossed aside our friendship over something so silly. I would have understood the truth.

He pulled into his gravel driveway at that point. He turned to face, his dark eyes burned into mine, “I never stopped caring for you, Bella. I missed you all the damn time. It broke my heart to turn you away, but you have to understand me, you had to stay away from me. And now, you have to stay away from that fucking bloodsucker!”

“You would have never hurt me, and neither will Edward.”

“Yes, I could have and yes he can, Bella. I hated being cruel to you, Bella, but seriously, when I was first phasing, I was dangerous, volatile. Even if the elders didn’t forbid us from telling anyone, even if it wasn’t a pack rule to keep our secret, I would have turned you away. I don’t want you wrapped up in this supernatural nonsense, Bella. I know you. You would throw yourself into the fire to save me, but I can’t allow it, Bella. My world is too dangerous for you now. You needed to stay safe. You _still_ need to stay safe.”

“It hurt me, Jacob,” I whispered. “You leaving me hurt worse than any werewolf attack ever would.”

“I’m so sorry, Bella. I really am. I didn’t realize that it would hurt you so deeply.”

“Of course it did. You were my sun, Jake.”

“And you were my world, Bells.”

I teased him so this conversation couldn’t get any sappier, “You compared me to a bunch of dumb dirt?”

He smiled, “Well, you called me a giant ball of hot gas.”

We laughed to ourselves, and I reveled in the sound. Having Jacob back in my life is going to make this separation from Edward slightly more bearable. _Slightly_.

He hopped out of his front seat and I followed suit. We made our way to First Beach quickly. I’d never seen First Beach so early in the year. It looked more windswept and forlorn than it did in the hot summers I was used to. Thankfully the large bonfire on the shore warmed up the atmosphere considerably.

I hesitated just a brief second before stepping onto the sand. Unfortunately, it wasn’t brief enough to be missed by Jacob’s acute wolf-y sense.

“You’re still not scared of these boys, are you?” Jake asked, endlessly amused at my discomfort, as best friends tended to be.

I had killed a vampire by stabbing him in the chest with a pencil, yet the idea of interacting with a bunch of boys who knew me in middle school chilled me to my core. I blushed, giving him his answer.

He laughed. “You know they only picked on you because they thought you were cute, right?” He cocked his head to the side and raised an eyebrow.

I had no idea that this was the case, but I was not going to give Jacob the satisfaction of showing my naivete. I crossed my arms and raised my chin right back at him, “That’s not the proper way to a woman’s heart.”

“They know that now. Well, most of them do.”

“You never picked on me,” I pointed out.

He laughed, “Yeah, well you were never my type.”

Jacob made our presence known with a low whistle. I kept my dog jokes to myself, worried that they might be in bad taste. The pack gathered around us from where they were just hanging out around the beach.

The one named Paul spread his arms out wide, strutting out of the water, “There’s our beautiful swan!” My smile felt forced; I was sure it looked even worse.

“Watch it, Paul,” Jacob warned. His tone was jocular, but his eyes were fierce. “I already told you she’s dating a Cullen.”

Paul winked at me, “I’m always hungry for a challenge.”

Leah smacked Paul’s shoulder, “Can you go five minutes without making a fool out of yourself?” She nodded to me, “Hey.”

Leah had cut her dark hair into a long pixie cut. She was almost as tall as the boys surrounding her, and just as ripped. All I could do was ogle.

Jacob, familiar with my inability to act like a competent human being in larger crowds, took charge of the introductions. I had met all of them in past summers, of course, but I was now being introduced to them as a pack of werewolves.

“Bella,” Jacob gestured to a tall, handsome boy on the outskirts of the group, “Is our pack leader, Sam.”

The members of the pack were all friendly enough, none of them brought up any of my embarrassing adolescence, which was a huge relief. They all had more preparations for their party, and all wished me well and welcomed me warmly to the realm of the supernatural.

“Now.” I settled onto a log far away from where the boys were setting up, but still in view of the fire, “Let’s talk wolves.”

Jacob plopped down beside me and made a goofy little show of making himself comfortable. “So, basically there’s two kinds of wolves: cool wolves and lame wolves.”

I nodded, “Werewolves and normal wolves.”

Jake’s eyebrows furrowed together, “Okay, three kinds of wolves,”

“Wolfhounds?” I guessed.

“Bella…” “Okay, okay. Sorry. I’ll shut up.”

He nodded his head in approval before starting over, “So basically there’s two kinds of _were_ wolves.”

“Should’ve started with that…”

He raised both eyebrows at me.

“I’ll be good.”

“There’s the lame, mainstream werewolves: the ones who unwillingly transform into wolves on a night of a full moon. And then, there are the cool werewolves, who have full control of their abilities. I can control my transformation into my wolf form at all times. I am stronger, faster, and generally superior to your average werewolf.”

He looked down, ready for me to be impressed. When he was dissatisfied with my response or lack-there-of, he got a little testy.

“I can also do sick shit like this.” He held his hand out for me. His brow furrowed in concentration and his arm shook from strain. He grunted and his fingernails transformed into claws. I let out the teeniest shriek before I controlled myself.

“Sick, huh?”

I nodded, unable to speak.

“You know, I bet I’m as strong and fast as your leech, _and_ I can still eat cheeseburgers.”

I thought about Edward, running through the trees while cradling me in his arms at lightning speed, washing a sink-full of dishes for me in fifteen seconds flat, carrying my bags and bags of groceries in one hand with ease. I crossed my arms, “I highly doubt it.”

He smiled like he was hoping I would say that. Puffed up, Jacob reached down and plucked up a pebble off of the ground. He closed his fist around the rock and opened it again to reveal a handful of dust. I tried not to look impressed, because I definitely was.

“Edward could do that in his sleep. Well, he could if he slept.”

Shock flickered across Jake’s face, “They don’t sleep?”

I shook my head, “Nope.”

“That _sucks_. Sleeping’s the best.”

“Well, they have immortality, too,” I said, almost childishly. I didn’t know why I was getting so miffed at Jacob shrugging off my vampires.

“What? Are you trying to defend your shitty monsters because you can’t become a cool werewolf?”

“No. I have no interest in becoming a wolf, thank you very much.”

“Only eating them.”

Yikes, that hit a little too close to home. I didn’t think Jacob would be pleased to discover my new life goal was to become one of the undead.

Thankfully, his phone rang just then. He looked at the caller ID. “Oh, it’s Angela. She might be lost. I gotta get this.”

“Thanks, Jake.” I said sincerely as he ran off. I was so happy to be back in his life.

Throughout the night, the beach filled up with party-goers. Paul and Quill welcomed what felt like an endless stream of gorgeous, giggling girls, rushing up to them for hugs. Sam sat away from the larger group, snuggled up to a girl with a sweet-looking face. Jacob held Angela tight by his side while they chatted with Embry and a girl on his arm. Even Leah sauntered up and kissed a girl so pretty, she could give Rosalie a run for her money.

I sat further down the beach, away from the party, wishing more than anything Edward could be here with me. I called his cell longing to hear his voice and frowned to myself when I got past the second ring. He never let one of my calls go unanswered for this long; he must still be in the snow.

I got to his voicemail: _“Bella, my darling. The only reason I would not pick up the phone for you is if I am out of range of a cellular tower, otherwise nothing in heaven or in hell could keep me from answering you. I’ll call back the moment I am able, my love. Everyone else, please just leave a message._ ”

I sighed and looked up into the expansive night sky. I wished on every star as I could that Edward would come home to me soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note that I do not support the way Bella views herself and sometimes how she views Edward...


	22. Truth or Dare!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. I might admit, this one is a little dorky. But I wanted a fun way for Bella to find out a bunch of information without another chapter of talking heads. So just know that I know I'm a dork, okay? 
> 
> These characters and ideas all belong to Stephanie Meyer

**B-POV**

I was growing tired of my social life. After nineteen years of solitude, I wasn’t used to endless social commitments. Between the Cullen’s, Jake, Jessica and Angela and the group of girls I secretly referred to as Edward’s fan club, I was hardly ever alone. It kept me distracted from Edward’s absence, but I didn’t want to be distracted anymore. I wanted to mope. And cry. And miss him.

Friday night, I snuggled myself up in his bed, wearing the last of his sweaters that still held his scent. My plan was to lock myself in his bedroom for the entire weekend, surrounded by his things and reading romance novels to touch my heart like he used to. Sooner or later, I would cry. And then, I could listen to his sad music to make me cry more. By Sunday, I should be all cried out and ready to face my friends again. But this weekend was my time to wallow in misery.

I was settled in bed, just about to start my first book when I felt an ominous vampire presence.

“Oh no you’re not!” Alice’s voice came out of seemingly nowhere and she pulled my book out of my hand.

“Hey!”

“You are NOT allowed to spend a Friday night crying! If you start to miss Edward, I’m going to miss Jasper, and then Emmett is going to miss Rosalie, and you just can’t upset Emmett, Bella! You can’t!”

Emmett was suddenly laying on the bed beside me. “I’m an ugly crier.”

“Please, please just let me read!”

“No! We’ll do whatever you want!” Alice pleaded.

“I want to read!” Emmett mussed my hair, “You might be as much of a dork as Edward is, kid. This is how he spent Friday nights for years before he met you.”

“Well, since you’re so cool, what do you guys normally do on Friday nights?”

“Sometimes I watch Emmett wrestle things.”

Emmett nodded proudly, “Last Friday we went to Florida so I could wrestle a gator.”

“Um… I think I’m looking for something a little more lowkey.”

“We could talk,” Emmett suggested. “That’s what I would do with Rosie when she doesn’t want to wrestle.”

“Okay,” There _was_ something I’d been meaning to ask a Cullen… I hoped they wouldn’t get mad at me. I guessed I could use this opportunity to drag some information out of them. “Why… did you guys kill other vampires?” my voice was barely a whisper.

Alice sighed, “Edward wants to be the one who talks about this stuff with you...”

I looked at my hands, “I see.”

“But,” Emmett started. I looked up to see him grinning hugely, “If we were playing a game where we had to answer her questions…”

Alice was already smiling too, in on the idea, “Edward wouldn’t want us to cheat while playing with his darling Bella!”

They were both standing. “Truth or Dare!” they exclaimed.

“I’ll get some paper!” Alice said at the same time Emmett said, “I got the hat!”

They were gone in a flash. I hadn’t seen anyone this excited over a silly middle school slumber party game since… well… I’d never seen anyone excited to play Truth or Dare. Alice and Emmett were back on Edward’s bed with me in less than a minute with two sparkly top hats filled with little bits of paper.

“This might be the dumbest thing I’ve ever done,” I informed them.

“Nonsense, you’re dating Edward!” Alice chirped. “Bella first!” She shoved one of the hats into my lap.

I plucked the piece off the top. “Dare,” I read aloud.

“I dare you to eat that cookie.” She pointed to the pack of the Oreos I put on Edward’s bedside table.

“This is about to be a wild and crazy night you guys…” I murmured while reaching for the cookie.

I stuffed it in my mouth the same time Alice pulled out a piece of paper herself, “Truth!”

“What a surprise!” Emmett exclaimed sarcastically.

“Why did you kill those vampires?”

“Vampires are extremely feral, predatory creatures, and can be more beast-like and savage than our human faces convey. We growl, hiss, snarl…”

“We’re the classiest group Bella, and that’s all thanks to Carlisle,” Emmett interjected.

“So… you killed the others for being more animalistic than you?” I asked.

Emmett shook his head, eyes wide, “No, no! Of course not! It wouldn’t bother us if they were simply living their lives. They kill other people, Bella. Hundreds of innocent human lives are taken for vampires to feed.”

Alice picked up on Emmett’s point, “Those vampires we destroy see themselves as the top of the proverbial food chain. They have no compassion for any beings other than themselves, especially humans.”

“Sometimes it’s not enough to simply not do bad things,” Emmett said, suddenly serious, ”You gotta fight the bad. And for us, killing those killers was our way of fighting the bad.”

“Edward was saving lives,” I whispered to myself, in awe. I desperately wished he was here with me now. To see the smolder in his eyes; maybe a small smile on his perfect lips.

“I mean, we were doing it too, but go off I guess…” Emmett muttered.

Alice ignored him, “Yes, Edward was saving lives.” She held my eyes and we shared a smile. My vigilante vampires. Saving the human race one vampire at a time.

Well, they were. Carlisle put a stop to that.

Emmett scooped up a pile of paper with his large hand. He hovered his fingers over pieces of paper until he saw Alice nod slightly in his peripheral vision.

“Truth!”

“How…”

“Does one turn into a vampire?” Alice finished. I wasn’t sure if her ability to finish my questions was going to be useful or annoying.

“It begins with a human consuming vampire blood,” he said. Alice continued, “There are many ways for that to happen. Mainly, by drinking it. Edward, Esme, and Rose were injected with it. Jasper had it poured into an open wound,” she paused and we made matching grossed-out faces at each other.

“Emmett?” I asked. “Carlisle fed me his blood. Rosie didn’t know how to make the change yet. She felt so silly that she carried me all the way back when that was all that she needed to do,” he chuckled lightly at the memory, despite the fact that he was literally dying at the time. “Then, the human has to die with the blood in their system to be revived as a vampire.” Emmett continued.

“Dead?” I whispered.

“We’re essentially reanimated corpses, only sexier,” Emmett said.

Alice nodded emphatically.

“Edward died?” I was sure why this fact was so shocking, or so heartbreaking. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew that vampires were considered the undead. But the thought of Edward somewhere, hurting and leaving the light, tore at my heart.

Alice reached for my hand and squeezed it, “It’s why our skin becomes pallid and why we feel cold and hard to you. We’re dead.”

I took a shaky breath. Emmett didn’t wait for me to get my emotions in check before he continued. “Finally, the person must drink human blood within the next twenty-four hours, or else they will die.”

“What’s it like?” I asked.

Alice clicked her tongue in disapproval, “It’s your turn again.” She pushed the hat towards me.

I rolled my eyes, “Dare.” I read again.

“I dare you to eat that cookie.”

“Alice! Give me a real dare!”

Emmett had a dare ready “I dare you to mess up Edward’s CD collection.” He gestured to the north wall of Edward’s room that was stuffed with shelf after shelf of his massive CD collection. I smiled broadly.

“Okay!” I hopped off the bed and began randomly pulling CD’s and tossing them lightly on the ground. Once I had a decent portion on the floor, I sat down and swapped the CD’s and their cases around. My smile grew wider when I put ABBA’s greatest hits in the CD case of one of Edward’s more pretentious Swedish bands. I put the CD’s back on the shelf haphazardly. I turned to Alice and Emmett and took a bow.

“Perfect!” Alice cheered, “Time for another truth!”

“You guys have to do dares too or this isn’t going to be any fun,” I pouted.

“Fine, fine.” Alice reached into the hat knowingly. “Dare.” She announced.

Emmett jumped on the dare before I could, “Alice, I dare you to put on Jasper’s favorite cowboy boots.”

Alice raised her eyebrows and darted out of the room. When she came back, she was wearing a pair of flamboyant boots that were so large on her little legs, they almost took up her entire calf. She took it upon herself to complete the look with a ten-gallon hat and a fringed embroidered western shirt—both so large they had to belong to her husband as well. She strutted back into Edward’s room at a human pace, faking bow legs and shooting finger guns. “There!”

“My turn!” Emmett called out. He looked at Alice; she pointed at one for him to pick up. “Dare!”

“I dare _you_ to put on Rosalie’s favorite cocktail dress!”

Emmett giggled maliciously and was out and back in the room as quickly as Alice. He had what looked like a gorgeous red dress pulled up to his hips, where it would not go up any further. His torso was bare, but he draped a tasteful shawl over his shoulders. Alice and I burst out laughing.

“Didn’t expect me to look this good, did ya?” He dragged his hands over his body, “I bet you feel really stupid right now.”

We were still giggling when Alice handed me the hat again. I drew another piece of paper. Before I could even announce that it was dare, Alice was holding a baggy, tan suit with horizontal stripes in front of me.

“This,” Alice gestured to the ridiculous-looking outfit, “is Edward’s zoot suit. And I dare you to wear it for the rest of the night.”

I touched the jacket sleeve. “This is Edward’s?” Edward was always suave and meticulously well-dressed, almost to a fault. I couldn’t believe he would not only wear something this stupid but that he thought he actually looked good enough in it to keep it for all these years.

“Done!” I took the suit and Alice handed me a maroon shirt, polka-dot tie, and wide-brimmed hat that went with the ensemble. It took me a thousand times longer to change than either of them, but eventually, I was back in the room wearing the ugliest thing Edward owned. Alice and Emmett howled with laughter.

Emmett was doubled over, he was laughing so hard, “Remember how good he thought he looked in that thing?”

Alice rolled back on the bed, laughing just as hard, “He thought he was so dashing!”

I did a little twirl, “I look good in it though, right?” I asked, jokingly.

They both nodded, unable to keep their serious expressions for long.

“Me! Me!” Alice cheered, reaching in the hat. “Dare!”

I beat Emmett this time, “Alice, I dare you drive Edward’s car blindfolded!”

“The Vanquish?”

“…Is that the black one?” Alice laughed, “Don’t ever let Edward hear you call his Vanquish ‘the black one’.”

Emmett was still laughing and he tapped my head, “These human brains can’t remember SHIT!”

I brushed his hand away, “Hey, hey! I remember plenty! Just not dumb, useless things like car names.”

Alice dashed out of the room and came back with a blindfold. Emmett scooped me up in his arms and the three of us leapt out the window and into the night.

**E-POV**

Luck was finally on our side. We were able to find the fishing shack in record time, thanks to Carlisle’s careful planning. The snow held off long enough for us to follow the scent of the woman from the attack in Forks high up in the mountains of Northern Greenland. Farther north than any human could dare to reside, was a small home. It was the same style as the other old homes in Greenland, small, with a high-pitched roof and made out of dark, weathered wood. Homes in Greenland were supplied from Denmark in kits to the Greenlanders back in the 1700s. so it was entirely possible that this vampire group stole one of those kits and constructed it all the way out here.

Against the mountainside, we stayed as far out as my metal range allowed. Our luck held strong as another storm picked up, now in our favor. The howl of the wind would cover our whispers, the falling snow would wash away our scent. A vampire would be able to find us if they really tried, but we hoped their overconfidence in themselves would keep them from doing a thorough perimeter search.

I could hear three mental voices in the house, one of which belonged to the woman. The others were another female and a male. We weren’t close enough for me to be able to tell if we had smelled the other two before. After an hour, I could name our attacker as Victoria, and the other two Heidi and Felix, and that none of them had any gifts, as far as I could tell. They were getting ready for someone, or multiple people. None of them thought of any names or numbers, which was irritating; they just kept referring to the mystery guests as “ _Them_.”

I kept my family updated in a hushed whisper. Jasper wanted us to wait out for _“Them”_ , so we could get a gauge on their final numbers and any abilities before we approached. Carlisle agreed to that. He may be a pacifist, but he wasn’t an idiot. He knew that this could easily break out into a fight if things went wrong, and we needed the odds stacked up in our favor, for the sake of our mates.

As they waited from _“Them,”_ these vampires were doing the strangest thing—they were fixing up the house. Well, not quite fixing as much as they were decorating for a specific taste. The three vampires working kept asking themselves or each other whether they thought “ _They”_ would approve. One at a time, they would go in and out of the house for hours and bring back packages of random decor.

My family found it as odd as I did.

“In all my three hundred years, I have never met a vampire do more than the bare minimum to blend in with humans,” Carlisle mused. “Besides Esme, that is. Before I turned her, even I didn’t see the point in extraneous belongings.” It was true. My first years with Carlisle were spent in studio apartments filled with only a few books, a table, and a couple of chairs.

We spent days high up in the mountains, listening to the vampires below decorating, waiting for them to think of anything useful. With nothing to listen to, Jasper, Rosalie and Carlisle all daydreamed of their mates, which was the closest we could ever get to sleep. I skipped through my minds regularly but often found myself in the middle of my own fantasies of Bella: taking her to the beach on a warm, sunny day, flying her to Rome to watch her eat real Italian pasta, cuddling on the couch with her, while she read a book on her phone instead of paying attention to the movie we were watching. I hoped wherever my love was, she was safe and warm and happy.

**B-POV**

Alice drove Edward’s car blindfolded, with the top down in chilly March rain. It was the first time I had ever seen any of the Cullen’s driving the legal speed limit now. Even though it was only because Alice was blindfolded, it was still refreshing.

I handed Emmett the hat. “Truth.”

“What does the transformation feel like?”

“It’s insane, Bella. It felt strange, at first. All I could feel was this weird burning taste in my mouth. But then, it was like a bolt of lightning shot through my body and a million stars exploded in my mind at once. It was like nothing I’ve felt before. Never in my human life had I ever felt so strong…so sure. It was amazing. Ten outta ten; would recommend.”

I sat silently, absorbing that.

“Do you want to become a vampire?” Emmett asked.

“One second,” I told him. I hovered my hand over the hat in Emmett’s lap, “Alice?” I asked.

“Two to the left.”

I followed her instructions and grabbed a piece of paper that said “Truth”.

“Do you want to become a vampire?” he repeated.

“Hell yeah!”

Emmett high-fived me, very gently considering his excitement level, “Hell yeah!” he yelled back. His booming voice hurt my ears in the confines of the tiny car.

“Where am I driving?”

“Just to Target.”

“Okay!” She took her hand off the wheel briefly to pluck a piece of paper off of the top. Of course, she wouldn’t need to see it. “Truth!” she said and flicked it onto the floor or Edward’s car.

I thought about the night on the beach with Jacob, and him showing off his werewolf abilities. I believed I knew most of what Edward could do, but I never outright asked him what vampires were capable of.

“What are the vampire abilities?” Alice yelled them out like she was on a game show, “Strength, speed, agility, hearing, sight, smell: all enhanced like crazy. Don’t need to sleep. Heal instantly. Live forever. Compel people. Some vampires have additional abilities like me, Edward and Jazzy.”

One of those things did not sound like the others. “You can compel people?”

Emmett drew a piece of paper, “Dare!”

“No! You are not avoiding this one! You compel people?” I demanded.

“Only a little,” Emmett admitted.

“What!?”

“Vampires have the ability to influence and control thoughts, emotions, and behavior and can alter or erase memories,” Alice muttered unwillingly.

“Have you ever compelled me?”

Neither of them answered me.

“Alice!”

“Just once! The night in the meadow. But honestly Bella, would you have actually ever gotten into a car with a stranger if I didn’t compel you to follow?”

“Probably not...” “And isn’t your life significantly better because you did follow me?”

Smug, little psychic. “Yes…”

“Well! You’re welcome!”

I crossed my arms and pouted, miffed that I had my mind played with, even if it was beneficial. “Edward would never compel me.”

“Well…”

“Alice!” “

The day of the car accident. He compelled you to not question him.”

“Fine! Emmett would never compel me!”

He didn’t agree immediately like I thought he would. “Emmett!” I exclaimed, now truly annoyed. Stupid, powerful, mind-controlling vampires!

“Remember the first presentation you ever did in our English class? You ended it with a joke.”

I remembered immediately, “Yes. That joke killed.”

“Actually, it didn’t. No one laughed. It was so awkward Bella.” He turned around in his seat to look at me, “And then you didn’t just let it die. You repeated it because you thought no one heard you. And no one laughed _again_.”

I shook my head, “No I didn’t.”

Emmett nodded, “Yes, you did. I compelled you to forget. I’m so sorry, Bella, but it was before I knew you were Edward’s mate! I made you think it killed, and then made you forget we talked.”

I was appalled. “Did you compel everyone in the class?”

“No, just you.”

“So everyone else remembers? And I’m assuming Edward knows?”

“Yeah, he knows. I think about it all the time.”

“Then how was that helpful!” I wailed.

Emmett considered that “Hm. I guess it wasn’t.”

Alice, still blindfolded, parked Edward’s care perfectly in the Target parking lot. she made a little flourish and said, “ta-da!” but I was too irked with the vampires to be impressed with her.

The three of us got out of the car. “What’s my dare, Bella?” Emmett asked.

“Uh, go into the Target and buy me the largest box of Poptarts they have.”

“Wearing this?”

“Obviously.” He was stretching out his body like he was about to run a race, “Flavor?”

“Not cherry.”

He was off into the store at a human pace. Alice and I stood out in the parking lot outside of the car waiting for his return.

“The night Edward told me he loved me.” I whispered to Alice. “The vampire who attacked me told me not to speak. I didn’t think… I didn’t know…” I was under his mind control power. “When Edward and I were in the car together, I wanted to say something.” Tears were falling down my cheeks at the memory of that heartbreaking drive, “I couldn’t understand why I couldn’t say anything! Why I couldn’t tell him I loved him back. The next morning, I felt fine and was able to talk, so I chalked it up to a bad dream. I didn’t know… I didn’t understand.”

Alice wrapped her small arms around me, “I am so sorry, Bella. We will never let a vampire touch you ever again.”

But that wasn’t it. “Edward was so upset that night, Alice. And I could have fixed it. I could have saved him from that pain,” my voice broke on the last word.

“The Vervain will keep you from being compelled. No one will ever be able to make you hurt him again.”

I sniffed and wiped my eyes. I was ruining our fun evening together with my tears.

“Better?” she asked. I nodded. She squeezed me a little tighter before she let me go.

Then, we saw Emmett emerge from the store with a small bag, and another large item I couldn’t make out yet.

“Bella!” he yelled across the parking lot, “Pick a dare; I have a great idea!” I doubted whatever he was thinking could be classified as a “great idea”, but I was intrigued and excited nonetheless and did what he asked under Alice’s guidance. When he got closer, I could see that he was holding a large, plastic sled.

Oh god.

“Bella I dare you to sled down the slope of my choosing.”

“There’s no snow!” He grinned and pulled out a bottle of dish soap and a container of butter. “Can you believe these three items were just sitting in a cart together? Just begging me to take them?”

“Did they belong to someone?”

Emmett was shoving the sled in Edward’s trunk, “It’s fine.”

Emmett took the driver’s seat this time, and Alice squeezed in the back seating, offering me shotgun. Emmett sped through the dark streets back at vampire speed. He parked along the side of the road somewhere and ran with me and the sled to a mystery hill deep in the woods. Emmett spread the butter all over the bottom of the sled. Then, he ran up and down the hill several times, squeezing the bottle of soap behind him.

“Alright, Bella. This is the slope I choose.”

“Edward’s going to kill you if she gets hurt, Em.”

“Bella, just stick out the leg you broke before farther than the other one, so if you break that one, he’ll just think it’s the same broken leg.” I stuck my previously injured leg out front and tucked my other leg underneath me. I looked up at Emmett for approval.

“Perfect.”

“Foolproof,” Alice muttered sarcastically.

Emmett groaned, “Do you see her getting hurt, Madame?”

“No…”

“Then we’re fine!” Emmett pushed me down the slope before Alice could argue. I flew down the hill, going as fast in the soapy mud as I could in the snow. Even faster. I was Emmett met me at the bottom of the hill so I couldn’t fly off into the forest beyond. The sled hit Emmett’s legs and abrupt halt caused me to surge forward and slam my face on his shin. I would most likely have a bruised cheek but was otherwise unscathed. I beamed up at my brother.

“Aw! That looked like fun!” Alice squealed. “I want to be dared to do that!”

“I dare you to sled!” Emmett yelled in my ear while he carried me and the sled back up to Alice. Alice and Emmett both took the sled down a few times. Each taking a running start to get them going at an appropriate vampire speed. The two of them could go much further and faster and I could since their vampire agility allowed them to maneuver around the trees. The few other times I went felt so lame compared to them, and I could not wait until Edward turned me into a vampire like him.

Hours later, we were all simultaneously dirty and soapy. Alice assured me she would get our outfits dry cleaned and the car detailed before our mates returned.

When we got back into the car, Alice fished through the hat. “Truth.”

“Do you think… Edward is going to…”

“Turn you?” Alice finished. “Oh of course. He loves you, he’s going to want to keep you forever.”

I looked down at my shoes, “He hasn’t said anything.”

“Well, I wouldn’t worry about that. I _see_ you becoming one of us, Bella. Edward probably hasn’t made a decision I can see because he’s planning something over-the-top and sappy and he hasn’t got that hammered down yet.”

Emmett laughed, “He’s probably got sixty-three-page poem written somewhere he’s struggling to edit down to a neat fifty.”

I smiled at their reassurances.

“You know Bells, you could dare me,” Emmett said, ”I could turn you into a vampire tonight.”

“Emmett,” Alice disapproved, “You know as well as I do that that would break Edward’s heart. He would want to be there for that.”

“True.” Emmett agreed, “Please he’s probably gonna be all weird about it and demand it be his blood that turns Bella.”

They both laughed at that.

“You know what?” I told them, laying back in the backseat, looking up at the car ceiling, “I want it to be Edward’s blood that changes me too!”

They laughed some more. “Ew!” Emmett exclaimed, “You’re just as sappy as Edward is!”

I smiled at that. I dug through the back seat of Edward’s car and found a hidden hoodie with his smell still on it. I curled around it the rest of the drive home.


	23. LARPing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These characters and ideas belong to Stephanie Meyer

**E-POV**

“We should just kill them now,” I muttered after a few days of watching the three vampires spruce up their shack in Northern Greenland. The three of them against the four of us would be effortless; Jasper could probably take on all three of them alone. We could take out this small group and ambush the newcomers…

Carlisle interrupted my scheming with a sigh. “Edward, we discussed this.”

“Carlisle we followed a trail of dead bodies to this place. Do you really believe leaving them alive is the right move?” I have no idea why I asked the question. I already knew the answer by reading his reasonable, understanding, kind, pure, unbelievable, _aggravating_ thoughts.

“They may not know there’s another way, Edward. As much as you like to think you are, you are not the judge, jury, and executioner for vampires. If they want to continue their ways, that’s another conversation, but if they are willing to change, they deserve forgiveness. Just as I have forgiven you. Just as we’ve forgiven anyone in our family with a deadly record.”

Jasper wanted to chime in but held his tongue for the moment. The only Cullen with a worse kill record than me was Jasper. And he was forever grateful to Carlisle and our family for our immediate, all-encompassing forgiveness.

I wanted to argue, however, the thoughts coming from the shack were shifting from preparation to action. They were getting ready to leave. The clock had run down; _“They”_ were coming. I motioned to my family to stay quiet. We all held our breath as two of the three vampires slid out of their strangely garish mountain home and ran off into the night to retrieve _“Them.”_

The two vampires returned hours later, carrying large sacks. A new vampire whose voice I had not heard yet was with them as well. I could tell the sacks held humans from the burn the carriers felt in their throats. The people in them were unconscious, or immune to my gift like my Bel—I stopped that thought immediately. If I pictured Bella in that scenario or anything similar, I would spontaneously combust. And that would definitely give away our position.

“Carlisle,” I whispered through my teeth as quietly as I could, “they have innocents.”

“To feed?” Rosalie asked.

I skipped through the minds available to me. The vampires were not hungry nor thinking about food, they were preparing themselves for a ceremony. I shook my head, “No. Turning them into vampires.”

Jasper and Rosalie readied themselves to make their moves to save the humans, but a spoken voice made me stop them. _“Will Aro, Caius, and Marcus be joining you, Eleazar?”_ The vampire named Felix asked their new companion, licking his lips with cautious hope. He spoke the three names with such reverence, that they had to belong to people of importance.

“They’re discussing their leaders.” I turned to Jasper, unable to decide. “If we let them talk, we’ll get information, but those people will become vampires. If we save the people now, we will have to kill the vampires, and we will be back at square one. Which do we want?”

“Information,” Jasper said, like he was admitting a great weakness.

Rosalie nodded in agreement. “We’ll save more lives in the long run by cutting off the head.”

Carlisle ran through a few plays in his mind. Saving the two humans would cause an unwanted fight, and that would not help in our efforts to turn these vampires to our ways. He reluctantly agreed with his kids. We relaxed our tense postures and I continued to listen.

 _“No.”_ The one named Eleazar replied coolly. The three were immediately disappointed. They had spent days bringing their cabin up to snuff to impress their masters who did not allow their followers to live in squalor. Eleazar noted the change in the room and tried his best to excuse the actions of their masters. _“Your effort to impress the three is… charming, and I assure you, Aro will take note of the initiative you three have shown. Do you really want our masters to come all of this way? To the middle of nowhere?”_

 _“No,”_ the one named Hiedi admitted. It seemed she was the ass-kisser of the group, _“Their time is too valuable to be squandered here.”_

 _“Exactly!”_ Eleazar smiled, “I know what it is they are looking for. There was no need for them to make this journey.”

Victoria was weary. _“We did not realize the Masters had specific needs. We thought they would take any gifted vampires.”_

 _“They are changing tactics after that incident in Brazil. They want a few, exceptionally talented vampires along with us in the coven, to cut down on the risk of an uprising.”_ The three vampires looked at each other. They were now worried they did not provide what their masters needed.

Eleazar rubbed his hands together excitedly, _“Now, let us see what you brought me.”_

The two vampires with the sacks emptied the unconscious humans onto the floor. They cut their wrists with their teeth and the human's wrists with a knife. They allowed their blood to drip into the human’s systems. After a few beats, both vampires slit the throats of the humans, initiating the transformation. Eleazar began focusing on the changing humans, he was searching for something inside of them, but he could not read their thoughts. I was relaying all of this to my family, tense and genuinely curious about what power this Eleazar had, and what he could read in other beings.

Then, I saw a picture in his mind—it reminded me of one of Alice’s visions but less detailed. Instead of an image of an event, it was a vague sense of action. From one human, he could sense powerful tracking abilities. From the other, he could sense an ability to change the markings on their skin. It suddenly dawned on me what we were looking at: he could sense other vampire’s abilities.

Rosalie’s mouth dropped wide open when I relayed that to my family. “Do you think he will be able to sense you and Jasper?” she whispered, thankful, yet again, that she did not receive a gift when she turned.

I looked through his mind, but he could only sense the powers of the two changing humans, and Victoria’s gift of evasion, and Felix’s enhanced strength. “No. He cannot sense us.”

Jasper and I felt relief flooding through Rose.

Eleazar frowned at the three vampires, “ _This is what you called the masters here for? You should be grateful I showed up without them. How disappointed they would be.”_

_“We thought since James died, our masters would want another tracker.”_

Eleazar sighed, exasperated, _“We have Demetri, who is a far superior tracker than James ever was.”_ He gestured to the girl who would be able to change her skin, “ _And what was the excuse for this one? Do you all wish to see a vampire who can change their skin color?”_

Ass-kisser Heidi bowed her head apologetically, “ _We were thinking she would have something closer to invisibility. Like Erik.”_

Eleazar considered that. It was a fair misunderstanding, he supposed. _“You three will have to go to you Master and explain this to them yourselves. From there, your master will tell you what to do,”_

_“Where are the Masters now, Eleazar?”_

A giddy laugh escaped my lips. It was going to be this easy to find their leaders?

 _“Caius was in Loire Valley the last I saw him, but he was preparing to go to Volterra. Marcus is in Dubai, as per usual. Aro is in Napa Valley, at our newest vineyard.”_ I reiterated all of that to my family. I could see the places pictured in his mind—a medieval castle, a casino, and a vineyard—I could easily sketch out each place for my family. Maybe we could do a reverse image search with the drawings. If not, Alice will be able to help us deduce good starting places for our searches. A small laugh burst from Jasper as well; Rosalie cracked a smile. I was smiling as well. This was going to work. We were going to be safe. _Bella_ was going to be safe.

Jasper was going to speak, but I stopped him. Eleazar’s thoughts shifted from their Masters to the matter at hand. I stood up, the others followed my lead. “ _Kill them.”_

Unthinking, I took off. Rose followed, but we were too late. Just as we got within earshot, two vampires had torn the changing humans in half and threw them into the fireplace. I skidded to a stop, already defeated. Rose, Jazz, and Carlisle stopped behind me. Those in the house watched the changing humans burn to ashes, while the four of us listened helplessly. Eventually, the bodies were destroyed and the fire was extinguished. They all left in the direction they arrived, away from us.

“They killed them,” Rosalie whispered once she could no longer hear the other vampires. “They didn’t even feed. They changed them, and threw them into the fire like they were rubbish instead of people.”

Carlisle put a hand on his grieving daughter’s shoulder, “That’s why we need to show these vampires the importance of humanity.”

Jasper was ready to move past this so no one else could be killed while we stood around, “I say we split up. We can each take a leader, while the fourth follows this guy.” Part of me knew it was silly to split up, but we didn’t want to find one only to lose the others. Carlisle and Rosalie shared similar thoughts to me. More importantly, we all thought, it would make this go faster so we could finally return to our mates.

“I guess we already know who’s going to California.” Rosalie glared at me. “If we don’t let Edward go to America to visit his mate, he’ll probably have a hernia.”

Her insults were unnecessary, but I wasn’t about to argue against an excuse to see my Bella.

“Okay, then.” Carlisle was thrilled to have solid locations and names. “I’m going to follow this Eleazar; I want to speak to him first. Jasper, find Marcus in Saudi Arabia. Rosie, you can search for Caius in France and Italy. Edward will follow Aro to California. You kids are to find these “masters” but wait for me to talk with this one. Do not interfere. Watch from a distance.”

“Jasper, call up Alice,” I said while we were running through the trees towards the closest airport. Alice would want to be involved in getting us on the best flights.

His heart swelled with the idea of being able to talk to his wife, “Gladly.”

**B-POV**

“Bella, would you please stop moping around?” Jacob requested one late afternoon. Angela and I were at his house on the Reservation working on homework. Well, Angela was. I had been ignoring my assigned reading in favor of laying face-down on the couch for the past thirty minutes. “You’re killing the mood.”

“No,” I replied, my voice muffled by the couch cushion.

“Aw, Jake, leave her alone,” Angela said, “she misses Edward.”

“Beautiful Swan,” said a voice—it sounded like Paul’s but I didn’t look up to check. “I would never leave you like he did.”

I pushed myself up to yell at the offender; it was Paul. “Edward did _not_ leave me!”

Everyone in the room was staring at me from the outburst. Whenever I was hanging out at Jacob’s house, members of the pack would wander in and out at their leisure. Along with Angela and Jake at the dining room table, Leah, and her little brother were helping themselves to snacks in the Black’s kitchen. Paul was hovering around me obnoxiously close, as he often did.

“We never did get that story, Bells,” Jacob said.

“Yes we did, Jake.” Angela reminded him without looking up from her work, “He’s volunteering in Africa with his father and his in-laws.”

“Right…” Jacob let it go for the moment. I took out my reading assignment, and we all went back to our homework in silence. Angela started working on math--her worst subject. As per usual, she took out her headphones and plugged in to limit distractions.

Jacob took the chance to ask me again about Edward’s whereabouts. “Where are they really, Bella?”

I sighed, “The Cullen family is in a bit of a pickle right now.”

“Who did they kill?” Paul asked.

“No one!” I said reflexively. “Well, actually a lot of people, but it’s not what you think. Edward and his siblings, they would go out and kill other vampires—the bad ones. Ones who ate people.”

“Seriously?” Seth asked.

“Yes! They were trying to help people, by getting rid of the killer vampires.”

“I told you, Jake,” Seth said pointedly, “I always knew Ephraim Black made the right call trusting the Cullen’s.”

Jake held up his hand, “Alright so they’re a decent group of vampires. That doesn’t mean we should all ignore what they are and start fucking them.”

The wolves looked at me.

“Edward isn’t going to hurt me, Jake! In fact, he gives me an herb to drink every day that makes my blood undesirable to vampires so, ha!” “And what is this magical herb?”

“Vervain.”

Jacob snorted.

“No, Jake. That checks out,” Leah said. “I’ve heard of that before. That humans can use Vervain to protect themselves from vamps.”

Childishly, I stuck my tongue out at Jake.

Jake glared at Leah, “Why are you encouraging this?

“I don’t. Fucking a vampire is probably the stupidest thing a human could do,” Leah heaved herself up so she was sitting on the kitchen counter. “But, I care about proving you wrong more than I care for her wellbeing.” She glanced at me quickly, “Er—no offense.”

I shrugged, “None taken.”

“I’d fuck a vampire,” Seth added.

“Seth,” Leah chided her younger brother “don’t say fuck.”

“I’m with Jake,” Paul shook his head, “I would never let one of those creeps anywhere near me. Fucking a werewolf, however…” he sat beside me and give me what he probably thought was a charming smile, “that would be the most pleasurable experience a woman could have.”

I scooted away from Paul’s nearness, “Well, vampires don’t have to sleep, so they can go on all...night...long.”

“Woah,” Seth’s eyebrows rose.

Jacob rolled his eyes and motioned for Angela to take off her headphones. She complied and Jacob immediately asked, with no context, “Angela, would you fuck a vampire?”

“Absolutely,” she nodded, just as immediate.

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah.” She looked between Leah and me, hoping for backup, “It would be sexy.”

“Agreed.” I said at the same time Seth said, “Exactly!”

“What are you guys talking about?” Angela pushed her books to the opposite side of the dining room table, “I can’t handle any more math.”

I had thought about this excuse for a while now just in case Angela or Jess caught us talking about anything supernatural, and was happy that I finally had a chance to use it. “Edward and his family have been LARPing.” I lied, “Jake wants to join in so I’m catching up on their campaign.”

“Aw, Babe I didn’t know you had this dorky side.” Angela kissed Jacob’s cheek, “It’s really cute.”

Jake smiled at his girlfriend and frowned at me.

“Edward and his family are good vampires hunting evil vampires,” I told Angela.

“Spicy.” She said. “What are you, Jake?”

I channeled Emmett to give Jacob my cheekiest grin, “He’s a werewolf.”

Angela snorted. “Why would you choose a werewolf? Everyone knows vampires are way better than werewolves!”

Jacob met my grin with a little malice mixed in, “Well, Bella is an annoying, little gremlin.”

Angela laughed, “Bella, you’re always so weird—I love it.” She waved me on, “Well, keep going. Don’t let me stop you.”

“Alright. Over winter break, three vampires attacked the Cullen’s. One got away after kicking some serious ass, one got killed, and the third one got torn up and, like, reassembled for questioning.”

“Torn up?” Angela asked.

“Yeah, so vampires are super hard to kill. It’s either a wooden stake through the heart or torn us and burned in a fire. So, if you tear them up, they’re just useless for a little bit, until they can heal themselves back up.”

“Gross.”

“Anyway, they questioned this guy, and it turns out that the three of them were sent by this large, powerful coven whose mission is to bring vampires out of hiding and take over the human world. They are currently going around, gathering strong vampires so they have the most powerful coven.

“This other coven wanted Edward, Alice, and Jasper for their enhanced abilities. They had been watching the Cullen’s for a while and were upset at how the Cullen’s lived their lives: feeding on animals, favoring human life over vampire life. So, they sent some assassins to kill off the Cullen’s as retribution.”

“Enhanced abilities?” Leah recalled. “Do all vampires not have speed and strength and stuff?”

“No, they all do. Some vampires just have extras. Alice is a psychic, Jasper is an empath, and Edward is a telepath.”

“Damn,” Angela said, “It sounds like those characters are broken—that’s way too powerful.”

I nodded, “They rolled really well at the start of the campaign.” Angela nodded back in understanding.

“Wait—so you’re dating a guy who can read your mind?” Leah asked. “That sucks.”

“Edward can’t read my mind. He said this is the first time he encountered someone whose thoughts are silent to him.”

Jacob let out a loud guffaw, “This guy tells you he can read every mind except your own and you just _believed_ him?” Paul and Leah joined in on the laughter.

“He can’t!” I exclaimed. I held my nose a little higher, “I ran tests.”

“Okay, sure.” Jacob scoffed.

“That’s a weird choice for his character,” Angela added.

I crossed my arms, “Edward respects me in and out of character.”

“Enough about this freak among freaks,” Paul interjected, “What happened next?”

“Carlisle decided that he did not want any more death’s on the family’s hands, so they would not kill any more vampires.”

“They got the doctor to play?” Angela asked, eyebrows raised.

“Yeah, he’s really into family bonding,” I lied, quickly. “Carlisle wanted to find this other coven, so they could explain themselves, and make some sort of agreement with them.”

“The Cullen’s aren’t going to kill this other coven?” Jake asked, flatly.

I shook my head.

“That’s fucked up,” Paul said, “They’re just going to let this coven grow stronger and stronger just because they’re no longer at risk?”

“Edward says that Carlisle thinks that these vampires are doing this because they’re unhappy with their way of life. Typically, vampires roam in the wild, none of them live in a house or interact with humans like the Cullen’s. Carlisle thinks that if he shows this coven that there’s a different way to live, it will open their eyes and they will choose a peaceful, more fulfilling life.”

“Carlisle sounds like a dumbass,” Paul muttered.

“Carlisle is an intelligent, peaceful man.”

Seth chimed in, “I think Carlisle is right. Imagine living in the woods, killing endlessly. No home, no friends, no life. Just death. I would get sick of that, too. Carlisle showing them to live with humans instead of against them would change their whole outlook on life.”

“Seth sounds like a dumbass,” Paul repeated.

Leah pointed a stern finger at Paul, “You ridicule Seth again and I’ll have your head, you Dildo. Especially if you ridicule him after making an excellent point. Working towards peace is never stupid.”

“If the Cullen’s don’t want to get their dainty fingernails dirty, they should just point us in the direction of this coven and let us take care of them.”

“You LARP too, Paul?” Angela asked.

“Uh, yeah. I’m an elf or whatever,” he sputtered.

“You want to do the dirty work for a bunch of vampires?” Leah pressed.

“No, I want to kick some ass.”

“Sounds fun, I hope you guys win your campaign,” Angela encouraged, no longer interested in the conversation and wanting out, “Maybe I can play in the next campaign. I would love to be a witch,” she added, politely. Angela plugged back in to focus on her homework.

Once Jacob was sure she was no longer paying attention to us, he turned to me. “I swear to God, Bella, if I have to LARP because of you, our friendship will be over for real.”


	24. Baby's First Group Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I have more fun writing Edward and Bella doing random, mundane things than I do writing plot.  
> Also, I know this is a bit of a stretch, but I like my vampires with imperfections, and a lonely, socially awkward Edward touches my heart. 
> 
> These characters and ideas all belong to Stephanie Meyer

**E-POV**

Under an umbrella, I stood beside my car in the familiar commuter parking lot at school. Alice had promised me that Bella would cross my path if I parked in this spot.

She didn’t dress well for the weather: she was in a dress and tights. The sheer fabric of the tights offered little protection from the chill of the rain. She struggled as she sloshed through the puddles in her dainty flats. Her focus was on her feet as it often was, so it would take a while for her to see me standing here. I smiled to myself like a lovestruck idiot while I watched her.

When our eyes finally met, a symphony exploded in my head, triumphant and euphoric.

She positioned herself like she was out to break out into a sprint.

“Don’t run!” I yelled at her. The last thing we needed was for her to slip and break another leg. I ditched the umbrella and began running at a human pace, but she ignored me. She took off, running frantically for me, losing her umbrella, as well, and both flats. My perfect, reckless love slammed into me, and a hard breath whooshed out of her. Wet and shivering, she clung herself to me, kissing my chest, my neck, my arms—anything she could reach.

“Is it you? Is it really you?” she breathed between kisses.

I scooped her up in my arms, “Yes, it’s me.”

I yearned to devour her right here, right now. However, I knew better and I should not keep her in the cold any longer than necessary. I took her to the car, grateful that Alice told me to keep the car running and the heat blasting. I tried to place her in the passenger seat, but she was not having it. Bella’s lips were at my neck, her hands tugging at my hair on the back of my head, refusing to let go.

I chuckled, “We have all night for that, my love.” I kissed her lips passionately until she was distracted enough to release her tight grasp. I set her down successfully and gave her another peck before I closed the door. I collected her umbrella and shoes and joined her in the car again. She had already helped herself to the collection of layers for her I stored in the backseat.

She was bouncing up and down in her seat, “You’re back! I can’t believe you’re back.” She lurched for me and attacked me with another flurry of kisses.

I kissed her back before breaking the bad news, “It’s only for tonight, I have to leave again in the morning.”

Her hands dropped from my face. I caught them in mine, and kissed them both, “But I won’t be as long this time! We found the other coven, it’s just a matter of Carlisle deciding which one to talk to. It will only be another month apart, at most, I swear.” I gave both hands another kiss.

Her expression was still clouded over in distress, so I threw in another effort to pull her out of it, “I have a wonderful evening planned for the two of us. I have take-out waiting for you at the house, and I downloaded Pride and Prejudice. I have the hot tub up and running. You can be in my arms all night long if you wish. I won’t let you go, not once.”

She closed her eyes and her expression soured, “It’s Angela’s birthday today. I’m supposed to have dinner with her and Jake to celebrate.”

I frowned. “I see.”

“I can cancel, I think they would understand.”

“No, no. I was the one who showed up unexpectedly,” I should have known surprising her was a bad idea. “We can have our night afterward.”

“Won’t you come?”

I didn’t love the idea of spending the evening with humans in a crowded restaurant teeming with thoughts, but I loathed the idea of spending any time away from Bella. However, I was almost positive it was a major faux pas to show up to someone’s birthday party without an invitation. “Would it be alright?”

Bella could always read my emotions better than I could read hers; she waved off my concern with her hand, “Of course, the more the merrier.”

I didn’t believe her. I wondered if I had enough time to run down the scenario with Alice. “How long do we have?”

She looked at the clock on the dashboard. “We’re not meeting until 6:00, so about two hours.”

I was texting Alice while Bella was talking, updating her on the events that were about the transpire. She would bring me what she knew I would need.

Bella smiled up at me, and frowned. “We should go sit in the truck.”

“Why is that?” I quirked an eyebrow. Her thoughts were impossible to keep up with—I had missed this.

She gestured to the center console between us, “Nothing in the way in my truck.”

I pushed my seat all the way back before lifting her into my lap.

She laughed in surprise. “Okay, well, that’s one way around it.”

“A cozy way,” I pointed out, her warmth pressed everywhere against me. I leaned in and pressed a kiss to the soft beat of her pulse in her neck. I had missed this, too. Flicking my tongue out, I could almost taste her. Bella pressed a kiss to my lips. It seemed almost shy, which struck me as odd. What did she have to be shy about at this point? But then her mouth pressed harder, and her right hand wove through my hair.

“Bella,” I begged, “Please, never take your hand out of my hair.” She giggled maliciously and her other hand dug in as well. I squeezed her tighter and deepened our kiss. We stayed in the front seat of my car for the better part of the two hours. I could stay here, kissing her in my car for days. But Bella was a human, and her body was not able to maintain her uncomfortable position for long. Eventually, Bella’s poor legs cramped up. She stretched out her legs over the console with her still-bare feet in the passenger seat, and I gave her calves a light massage while she caught me up on what I had missed in her life while I was in the mountains in Greenland.

I had mixed emotions about the developments with the werewolf. On the one hand, I was glad she had her friend back. On the other, she was giving away family secrets to the vampire’s sworn enemy. Jasper would not be happy about this.

There was a tap on the window, and I opened the door for Alice, who handed me a shirt, shoes, and a little present tied with a silver bow. _“Never show up to a girl’s birthday without a present, Edward,”_ she scolded. Then out loud to Bella, she said, “I was surprised these windows weren’t all fogged up, Bella. I saw each and every one of those decisions before you changed your mind.” She winked and was off in a flash.

Bella blushed bright red.

I feigned horror, “Bella! Were you trying to seduce me?”

She giggled, unashamed, and squirmed in my arms so she could kiss my ear, “Only a little.”

I brought her lips to mine for a gentle kiss, “There will be plenty of time for that tonight, my darling. We’re going to be late.”

We arrived at the restaurant before any of her friends, giving me time to change into the clothes Alice brought. There were also some spare moments for us to sneak in a few extra kisses.

When it was our turn to request a table, I walked up to the maître d', “Table for four, please.”

“Six,” Bella corrected.

“What?”

“Um,” she didn’t meet my gaze, “Jessica and her boyfriend will be meeting us as well.”

Just what my evening needed. It wasn’t enough to have the werewolf’s aggressive thoughts berating me all night, I needed to have Jessica Stanley’s lustful fantasies playing on repeat.

Bella took in my fallen expression with no sympathy, “You’ll be fine. It’s just a little crush.”

“Okay, sure. And the Spanish Influenza was just a little head cold.”

“Don’t be such a baby.”

We were following the maître d’ to a table at this point. I helped Bella into her seat and took her coat. I was about to lean in for another kiss, but the thoughts of Bella’s friends entered my mind and ruined the mood.

Jacob’s never-ending stream of insults got to me first: _Pretty-boy, baby-Dracula, blood-sucking…_ After that, there was lust from Jessica, concern over Jacob’s foul mood from Angela, and boredom from Jessica’s boyfriend Mike. Yes, the perfect reunion dinner with my darling.

I watched myself in Jessica’s fantasy leap across the table and dip her body low to the ground with a long, sensual kiss. I hoped my hair looked better in real life than it did in her ridiculous daydream.

When the waiter took our orders, I politely declined.

“No food, Eddie?” Jacob asked after the waiter finished and left. He wanted to call everyone’s attention to the fact that I never ate. He hoped that if Angela thought there was something wrong with me, she and Jessica could convince Bella to dump me.

“I’m a vegan.” I smiled at Jacob.

“Pasta’s vegan.” He pointed out.

“Ah, but I don’t eat carbs either.”

“No carbs?” Jessica asked me with a mouthful of bread. _No wonder his body is so fucking perfect_.

“And no sugar,” Bella added. I handed my love the bread basket and encouraged her to take my piece as well. In Jessica’s mind, I licked butter right off of her lips, also in this fantasy, I was inexplicably shirtless… Jesus Christ. Should Bella really be friends with his girl?

“Damn, dude.” Mike interjected, not looking up from his cell phone he had hidden beneath the table.

Jacob was relentless, “There’s a salad on here.”

“Caesar dressing has fish and parmesan.”

“Get it without the dressing.”

“Oh, Jake leave him alone,” Angela batted at her boyfriend’s chest. “You can’t expect him to eat dry lettuce.”

“I’m sorry, Edward.” She continued sincerely, “If I’d known, I would have chosen a different restaurant…” Her thoughts matched her words. She was such a sweet girl.

“Don’t worry about it, Angela. I know my diet is… inconvenient for most.”

Jacob snorted at that. _Inconvenient for the humans he’s killed; the fucking bloodsucker._

I ignored the boy and continued politely, placing my hand over Bella’s “I’m here for the company for than the food.”

The table conversed happily, and the food was brought out in a timely manner. It was hard to stay engaged in the verbal conversation when I was being bombarded mentally by Jessica and Jacob. If I wasn’t careful, I could accidentally answer an unspoken thought in front of Bella’s friends, and that would only make things messier for her.

After all of these years, I was still working on aspects of my gift. Jasper and Alice could sympathize. There were large decisions Alice couldn’t see, just as there were emotions Jasper could not quite perfectly replicate. It seemed perfecting a gift like these would take centuries rather than decades.

I always skirted through life by simply not participating in conversations at all. It worked well in class and at work—I would be labeled as strange or rude and people would leave me alone. And of course, with my family, I didn’t have to worry about accidentally answering their thoughts rather than their words. Sure, it brutally murdered any chance of a social life, but my sanity and my family’s safety was worth much more to me than having a few human friends I would only be able to keep for a few years.

I did what I often did in moments like this—I ignored the conversations around me, both verbal and mental. I went into my own mind and focused on the music that always swirled around in my head whenever Bella was nearby. Tonight, the music was simple and pure, reflecting Bella’s beauty in the soft glow of the light on the table.

_“She's like an angel, man, she burns my eyes”_

I could hear two complementary guitar lines, light percussion. Nothing fancy. The words that went along with the guitars were the ones that came to me when she ran towards me this afternoon. _“Oh and she moves like a little girl. I become a child, man, she moves my world. And she gets splashed in rain and turns away and leaves me breathless.”_

I wanted to add a lyric about her eyes, so I looked down at her to see what colors shone in them in this lighting. My subject was looking back at me, with an angry furrow on her brow. There was a frown on her lips to go with that furrow.

“Sweetheart?” I asked, troubled. What upset her? I skipped through the thoughts around the table, but they were all concerned for Bella, no one was thinking about what caused her distress.

“Could we please go get my sweater from your car?” She asked. It was a lie—Bella was an awful liar—but I didn’t understand the reason behind it.

“I can go get your sweater for you.” Was that the trouble? She was cold?

“No. I would like for us to go together.” She stood. Jessica and Angela were concerned about our fight, Jacob was ecstatic: _It’s going to be too easy to get Angela against this dude._

I followed Bella out of the restaurant, but she stopped right out front instead of heading to the car.

She turned abruptly, “What was that?”

I was immediately apologetic, “I’m sorry, love, I don’t know—”

She stopped me, “You were being incredibly rude! To Jake, to Angela, to me. Blatantly ignoring the conversation, wishing you were somewhere else, actively _humming_!”

No one ever missed my input in conversation before. Then again, I never had a Bella before.

I sat down on the bench outside and pulled her with me so she was out of the drizzle. “I am so sorry, Bella, I truly am. You wouldn’t understand, because you’ve only really spent time with me alone or with my family, but I am absolute garbage at being around other people.”

“What do you mean?”

“Bella, it was my fault my family had to move once. It was the first time I went to school as a vampire. Back then, I loved my new gift. I could pick out the people with the most positive, agreeable thoughts and surround myself with them. It was easy to make friends when you could say exactly what they wanted to hear.” I laughed at the memories of me in school in the early Thirties, when I was still bright-eyed with a hopeful outlook on the world.

“I would get too immersed in conversation, and stop paying close attention from excitement and would accidentally answer a thought by mistake. It happened quite a bit. I was subsequently labeled as a freak or a stalker for knowing things I should not, and the freak was watched with more scrutiny. Then, they noticed more weird things about me, and speculations began flying around. Not before long, things got out of hand, and we would move. Rosalie was furious, Esme was so heartbroken. I never wanted to be the cause of Esme’s heartbreak ever again, so the next go around, I didn’t talk to anyone. And I haven’t really since.”

“You just gave up? Just like that.”

I laughed a cold, hard laugh. “How was I supposed to practice? It was either stay quiet and out of the way, or move. So I chose to stay quiet, for the sake and safety of my family.”

“But it upset you?” She asked.

Of course, it upset me. I longed to live carefree among the humans as Alice and Emmett could. Instead, I would dwell on the negative thoughts and traits of those around me, as an excuse to isolate myself. Which left me bitter, lonely, and strange.

“I mean, look what happened with you,” I told her. “You were my first friend in almost twenty years, and you figured out everything wrong with me in a few short weeks. And I can’t even read your mind.” I buried my face in my hands in shame.

“That’s not your fault,” she soothed, “I was a bit enamored with you.” She thought to herself for a brief moment and cautiously added, “But I imagine I’m not the only one enamored with you… I guess I see the problem.”

I sighed. I brought her hand up to my lips for a delicate kiss and held it against my face. “I’ll leave. I don’t want to keep embarrassing you in front of your friends, Bella. You can tell them I was sick or jet-lagged or whatever.”

“No, no.” Her warm thumb brushed my lower lip. “Now that I know what the problem is I want to try and fix it. What’s the worst part?”

“When people keep thinking my name, thinking of things they want to say to me. It’s very distracting. Jacob has an ongoing string of insults and ideas for calling me out. And Jessica… is Jessica. The worst affront might be how she can never get my hair right in her little daydreams.”

She laughed, “Alright, I can work with that. Anyone else thinking annoying thoughts?”

“This might be getting a little picky,” I prefaced.

“Lay it on me.” “Angela has the most annoying song stuck in her head. And she doesn’t even know all the right words. She keeps singing the chorus incorrectly repeatedly.”

“Wow, that is picky. Keep ‘em coming.”

“Mike keeps looking at the most bizarre pictures on his phone and thinking _‘Hashtag Mood’_ over and over and, Bella, I don’t even know what that means, and I don’t think I want to.” I looked at her, the confusion and concern painted clearly on my face. I worried she would think I was insane, too.

But she only laughed. She sat and thought for a good while. Then she grabbed my hand and stood from the bench, “Okay! I’m ready!”

We sat down at the table, and Bella set right to work. “Alright, I think we all need to pay attention to the table tonight, in honor of Angela.” Bella took the napkin out of the breadbasket at the center of the table. “Everyone put your phones in here, and stop looking at memes.” The table compiled, and Mike’s thoughts were back on the events of the table, minimizing the images in my head.

“Angela, do you remember how that song went that I showed you last night? I can’t for the life of me remember how it goes.” Angela remembered the CD Bella brought to their room last night. It was one that I made for Bella when we first became friends so many months ago. In her head, Angela began singing through a collection of my favorite songs on that CD, looking for the one that Bella was asking about. The annoying song was out and _You Send Me_ was in. I smiled at Bella.

“Which song are you talking about, Bella?” Jessica asked, knowing she was in the room when Angela and Bella were listening to music last night.

“I think it was in that movie we were watching, Jess. The one with Idris Elba in it.” She looked pointedly at Jessica.

 _Idris Elba, yum_. Jessica thought, and soon all of her fantasies starred him instead of me.

I suppressed another smile. Bella looked up at me, clearly pleased with herself; she deserved the accolades. It wasn’t perfect, and this blip of peaceful thoughts would only last a moment or two, but Bella’s efforts were entirely sweet and I fell deeper in love with her. No one had ever done anything like this for me before.

“Edward, why don’t you give Angela your gift?” Bella suggested.

“You bought me a present?” Angela was touched by my thoughtfulness, and my rudeness from earlier was almost entirely forgotten—all a part of Bella’s plan, no doubt.

“Oh, my sister picked it out,” I handed Bella’s friend the little box, “I’m awful with gifts, but she said I could not attend a girl’s birthday without a present, so Happy Birthday.”

As she unwrapped it, I couldn’t keep my smile contained for long. Alice had picked out this present to be a sort of gag gift to Jacob. Angela revealed a set of beautiful silver stack rings. According to Alice, these sets of dainty rings were quite popular.

“Edward! They’re gorgeous. I love them!” Angela began putting them on her finger right away; arranging and rearranging until they were stacked to her liking.

Jacob touched his girlfriend’s hand and twisted it this way at that, examining the jewelry. He then placed his hand in hers and grinned at me. _“Wrong kind of werewolf, asshole. Silver doesn’t hurt us.”_ It was meant to be funny, but clearly, the joke didn’t land.

Others at the table gave Angela their presents as dinner was finishing up. I added to the conversation six times for Bella’s sake but otherwise kept to myself. The waiter brought out a piece of cake, and the whole restaurant sang to Angela. Although she was not the center of attention, Bella’s face was flushed. Secondhand embarrassment, I supposed.

At the end of the event, Angela thanked everyone for their time and their gifts. Jacob wanted Angela all to himself for the remainder of the evening, so there would not be an afterparty. Thank god. Jacob wasn’t the only one at the table who would have preferred an evening alone with their girlfriend. Angela and Jacob stood to leave, I assured them that I would take care of the bill, and they could go ahead. Bella followed along with them after excusing herself to use the restroom. Mike was helping Jessica put on her coat when a crash echoed through the restaurant. I heard Bella’s tiny gasp.

“Bella!” I cried. I scanned the room for her and saw her laying on the floor behind a door. With fear coursing through my veins, I took off towards her, furious that my haste was slowed due to the human witnesses around me.

Before I could get to her, Jacob stepped in my way.

His eyes were filled with fire and he spoke through his teeth, “You will not hurt her.”

I would kill him. I would tear his head off of his shoulders if he did not let me get to my Bella. I snarl built up in my throat, low, but I knew he could hear it.

“Jacob!” Angela “Let him get to her. What is your problem?”

She yanked on Jacob’s arm. I used Angela’s distraction to slip around Jacob. I knelt beside my daring. Her sweet face was buried in her hands, hiding the damage from me. The stench of the Vervain and the salt from her tears were a large enough distraction from the siren call that was her blood.

“Bella?” I coaxed. “Can you please move your hands? Let me look.”

She shook her head, hunched over, hiding herself from the crowd surrounding us.

“Please, Bella?” I asked in my softest voice, “I won’t touch it, I promise. I’ll only look.”

She removed her hands from her face. I tilted her face so I could examine her injury. Thankfully, her nose wasn’t broken; she would be left with a bruise and nothing more. I told this to my sweet girl and brought her bloodied face to mine for a gentle kiss. She wiped her tears, and I helped her stand. Angela took her from me, to help her to the bathroom to clean up.

Once they were gone, I grabbed a napkin from the table beside me and wiped her blood off of my mouth, so I wouldn’t ingest any of the Vervain.

I glared at Jacob, “The next time you stand between Bella and me, you will be running on three legs.”

He didn’t heed my warning, he didn’t even pay attention to it. He was replaying mine and Bella’s kiss in his mind.

“What?” I demanded.

“You tasted her blood.” I wasn’t in the mood to converse with Jake. My mind was in the women’s restroom, watching Jessica and Angela clean Bella up. Jessica was making Bella laugh by describing some of her daydreams about me. Bella was smiling, putting Jessica in a brighter light in my eyes.

Out here, Jacob turned to walk away but faced me once more. “You tasted her blood,” he repeated. He was thinking about our kiss, so I couldn’t see the reason behind his statements.

I guessed it had something to do with the treaty. “Yes, I did. And Jacob, the treaty says I cannot bite a human. There is nothing in there about tasting a human’s blood.”

His eyebrows drew together, “Vampires cannot resist a human’s blood.” Now he was thinking a little more clearly. He knew that vampires could not stop drinking a human’s blood after the first taste, and didn’t understand how Bella survived.

“Jacob, I love her. I’m not going to do anything to hurt her.” He met my eyes, for the first time in our short acquaintance, there was no hatred in his mind, only wonder.

 _Fuck,_ he cursed, _Seth was right._ I wasn’t sure what that meant, but it seemed like this was the first step towards acceptance.

The girls came out of the restroom and I met Bella as soon as human speed would allow.

I took her from her friends, “Are you alright, my love?”

She blushed and shoved her face into my chest, which was Bella-speak for “I want to leave immediately.” I ushered her out of the front door, her friends following closely behind. We wished each other farewell, even Bella tucked safely into my arm.

“I feel like I ruined our entire night,” Bella admitted when we entered into the town limits of Forks.

“What makes you say that?”

“I don’t think you would have been mentally harassed at your house.”

“There’s no guarantee with my family,” I assured her.

“Okay, well I definitely would not have smashed my face up at your house.” She inspected her blossoming bruise in the mirror on the car’s visor.

“There’s no guarantee with your feet,” I chuckled.

We arrived at her house not much later. She readied for bed in her typical manner, but tonight, we added Neosporin and painkillers into the routine. Once we were in her room, she took an armful of clothing out of her closet and spread it out on my usual side of the bed. I recognized one of my hoodies, a sweater, a few of my button-downs. Upon further inspection, _all_ of the clothes were mine.

I opened my mouth to ask a question, but she already started to answer it, “If you’re going to leave again, I’m going to need you to put your scent back on all of your clothing.”

She laid down on her side of the bed. “Will you stay with me all night?” Her chocolate eyes smoldered with temptation.

“Of course.” I joined her in bed, on top of my pile of clothes.

She hid her face in my armpit, “Promise not to notice if I snore or drool or do anything embarrassing.” “I promise.” “I love you, Edward.”

Her face was in no condition for anything more than a gentle peck, which was just as well; the painkillers were already taking their effect, causing her eyes to droop. I would have to let her sleep tonight, and just wait until next time to do what I had actually planned for our night. I settled for giving her ear a gentle nibble, “And I love you, Bella. More than words could possibly convey.”

She made a small sound of pleasure and began drifting off to sleep. I held her to me, already counting down the seconds until I would return once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fact: I wrote the line "the Spanish Influenza was just a head cold" FOREVER ago and I've been waiting for the perfect chance to use is and I am so happy I could work it in 
> 
> Edward is working on the song Dogs by Damien Rice


	25. Luna Vineyard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These characters and ideas all belong to Stephanie Meyer.

**E-POV**

Bella clung to me the entire drive to school. Alice had brought Bella’s truck from where we left it in the commuter lot the night before, and Bella insisted we take it today. She never cared about means of transportation before, and I speculated she insisted on the truck this particular morning because its tired speed would give us a bit more time together. And I wasn’t about to fight that logic. Alice had also brought with her a small part of her make-up collection to try and conceal Bella's newest bruise. I was surprised that Bella had not objected to the make-over, as she often did. It seemed today was a day of firsts.

“Are you able to see which leader Carlisle will want to speak with?” I asked Alice at a volume Bella would not be able to hear. I squeezed my love a little closer to my side, hoping there was a small chance Jasper and Rose would find what Carlisle would need, and I could stay here with Bella.

 _No. Carlisle hasn’t caught up to the Eleazar fellow yet, so he hasn’t made a decision on who to speak to._ She showed me an image of Carlisle in a jungle somewhere, waiting for darkness so Eleazar will come out from where he was hiding from the sun.

Alice was able to save us a lot of time from a vision she had of the sketches I had drawn up for her after I made that decision. During my flight across America, she had already copied the sketches and brought them to a life-like state with Esme’s help. The two of them used a reverse image search and narrowed down the search time for Jasper, Rose, and I considerably. After I dropped off Bella at school, I would be running to the Luna Vineyard in Napa Valley. From there, I was to keep a close watch on the goings-on, until Carlisle made his decision on the next steps.

“Can you tell if Carlisle’s plan will work?” I asked.

 _Not directly. But I see you and Bella getting married, Jasper and I restarting school at Dartmouth, and Rosalie graduating Summa Cum Laude from Washington, so I imagine things will end up alright somehow._ She showed me each of the visions as proof.

I smiled at the image of my wedding with Bella. True to her shy nature, it looked like we were eloping. Rather than having a large ceremony; we were holding hands in a flower-filled gondola floating along the canals of Venice, with the gondolier as our officiant. I was already looking forward to holding her close to my side for that entire day, lest she fall into the canals while wearing her pretty, white dress.

We pulled up in the commuter lot. I was forced to snap out of my wedding fantasies and face reality once more. I got out of the truck with Alice and Bella. I gave Alice a big hug goodbye, and she went off, to give Bella and I some privacy. Well, as much privacy as we could get in a crowded parking lot.

Bella stepped up to me and I embraced her as well. We stood there longer than we should have; Bella would probably show up late to class, but she did not move. I don’t know what Bella was thinking, but I stood breathing in the scent of her, grateful that she was alive and safe and mine. That was the knowledge upon which my entire universe had come to rest. We did not kiss and we did not say goodbye. All of that felt too final, and this would not be our end. I would be home soon; I was determined of that. She left the safety of my arms to head to class, while I turned and stalked off towards the woods near campus.

It took several hours to run to Napa Valley. The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon by the time I arrived at Luna Vineyard. Perched high in a large cedar near the property, I began skipping through the minds of the vampires populating the area.

From what I could tell, this was an actual, functioning vineyard. There were a few vampires in a kitchen, prepping for the next day. Others were spread through the various tasting rooms, cleaning up after the day. There was a vampire in an office space simultaneously creating a schedule for employees and discussing Brie with a vendor over the phone. In the room with him were two vampire children--they couldn’t be older than thirteen. They were playing a board game on the floor in front of his desk. I wondered if the vampire at the desk was a Carlisle to these children. I made a few rounds going through the thoughts, hoping that someone would think of the name “Aro” to tell me who or where he was. However, all the thoughts seemed to be focused on their menial tasks. I was also searching for the nefarious activity I expected to find at a vampire vineyard.

After an hour of this, I was lounging on my branch like a panther: my arms and legs dangling down. Finally, a female vampire piqued my interest. She went down to the wine cellar, but instead of checking on the existing bottles, she pushed a large shelf aside, exposing a hidden staircase. She went down to the secret basement that looked suspiciously like a morgue. The scent of human blood suddenly overwhelmed her senses. Venom filled her mouth, but she swallowed it and set to work. She checked on a horrifying contraption that was actively draining a cadaver’s blood into a wine bottle. The blood had just finished draining at that point and she corked the bottle up and adhered a label to the front. Another vampire came to meet her, and took the body and threw it into a wood-burning furnace. The two of them pulled out another cadaver from a drawer along the wall and reset the machine with this body.

The two vampires flew up the stairs to a large suite at the top of the house. One settled on a large sofa and began flipping through channels on the TV, while the other put the bottle of blood in a cooling drawer. She pulled out a bottle from a warming drawer and poured two glasses for her and her companion. I popped back through several minds, and it appeared that many of these vampires also filled wine glasses somewhere near them. The vampire on the couch took a large gulp of his, and through his thoughts, I could see that he was indeed drinking a wine glass filled with human blood.

Bella did not like to eat chicken wings, or shrimp, or anything that made her feel like she was eating an actual animal. I wondered if the business with the wine bottles was because of a similar mindset; these vampires did not like to feel like they were drinking a human’s blood.

This would certainly pique Carlisle’s interest. I fingered the phone in my pocket to text my family what I had discovered, when a familiar mental voice entered my mind. …stuck in the kitchen when I go to any of the vineyards… It was the woman from the night Bella was hurt. I realized now that she was one of the vampires cleaning the kitchen to whom I paid little attention. Nothing could break my attention from her now.

Instinctively, I moved through the treetops to keep her thoughts in my range. She was moving away from the house, further into solitude. It was like she was begging me to kill her.

I knew I should wait; Carlisle didn’t want us to kill anyone anymore. But she was here, so close and all alone. I wasn’t able to properly punish the male for harming my love, but I could punish his companion... Just one vampire, just one very justified murder. We watched her murder two innocent humans, simply for not turning into powerful enough vampires.

Surely she’s killed many people in the past to feed, as well. Their families would want me to avenge the deaths of their loved ones who had fallen victim to this female, right? I wouldn’t even torture her, I told myself, still following her mental voice. Destroy her as painlessly as possible.

It was her fault I had been separated from Bella for weeks. Bella was miserable without me because of this woman’s actions. I would be doing this for Bella. This wasn’t even about me anymore…

Carlisle would understand. How many times have I heard him think he would do anything and everything for Esme? Just as I would do anything for my Bella. S

he was far below me. I would be able to stay out of her sight long enough for me to get above her and jump her.

Then, she started doing a strange ritual. She stood in the middle of a small clearing, focusing on her stance: knees slightly bent, feet apart. She raised her hands and arms in front of her at shoulder height and bent her elbows. Her mind cleared as she began inhaling and exhaling, raising and dropping her arms in front of her along with her breath.

Tai Chi. How ironic. This killer was trying to find peace.

I watched her for a few cycles of breath. Her mind kept flashing to random human faces—her victims, I guessed. With every inhale, she would bring a face to her mind, with every exhale she would push it away. Sometimes, she would think of a name along with the face. My justifications for her death dissipated along with her exhales. I wondered how often she did this ritual. Every day? Or just when her soul grew too heavy with death?

As usual, Carlisle was right. I didn’t need to kill this woman. This way of life was clearly draining her, it was probably the reason she sought out this new coven. My family could show this woman a life that would bring her the peace that her soul was searching for. There didn’t need to be any more death caused by her hands or mine. I considered the possible ways to approach her without spooking her.

Suddenly, two figures appeared out of nowhere in the tree across from me. A large, shirtless male with the thirteen-year-old blond boy clinging to his neck, like he was getting a piggyback ride.

“Hello, handsome.” The man smiled at me, he and the boy’s thoughts drifted into my mind after a few beats. Below us, the woman took off into the forest.

“Alec,” this strange man nodded.

Then, there was nothing.

 **B-POV** “

I think Angela hated my present,” Jake admitted to me while we were killing time between classes over coffee.

“What did you get her?” I thought over her birthday dinner and remembered that Jake had opted to give Angela her present when they were alone.

His shoulders slumped, “A cheese grater.”

“Jake!” I was probably the most socially inept person on the planet, and even I knew a kitchen accessory was not something a girl would want from her boyfriend on her birthday.

“Well! She said that at home, she would shred fresh parmesan into her EasyMac to make it taste better and she wished she could do it in her dorm. So I bought her a cheese grater and some parm!” Jacob released frustrated a huff, “I thought I was being thoughtful.”

Oh. Wow.

“I _think_ you were.” If Edward did something like that for me, I would probably melt, if I were being honest. I wondered why he thought Angela didn’t appreciate the gesture. “What did Angela say?”

“It wasn’t as much what she said, but more what she didn’t say,” Jacob explained. I wasn’t too sure what he meant by that, but I nodded anyway, encouraging him to continue.

He took a long swig of coffee, “She really liked those rings your lee—Edward—brought for her. The ones his sister picked out? I was hoping…”

My mouth popped open audibly into a little “O” shape.

Jacob frowned at my expression, “Bella. you’re going to make a bigger deal out of this than it really is, I can feel it.”

My face lifted into a huge smile.

“I’m not going to finish my question while you’re making that face.”

I tried to put away my dorky grin, but I couldn’t. My best friend was slowly accepting my boyfriend. I wanted to shout the momentous occasion from the rooftops. This couldn’t be more perfect—Alice loved any opportunity to shop, and Jacob would be benefitting from the Cullen's help.

“Bella, this is for my girlfriend’s happiness, and my girlfriend’s happiness alone,” Jacob clarified.

There was an unfamiliar puffed-up feeling in my chest. I rarely felt smug—I was usually wrong about everything. If Jacob wasn’t a foot taller than me, I would have looked down over my nose at him, “You want the Cullen’s to help you, don’t you Jacob?”

“No! I want a girl who has the same taste as my girlfriend to point me in the correct direction of a decent present. That girl just happens to be Alice Cullen.” But I was already texting Alice that she and the other Cullen’s were about to have a new best friend.

“Alice says she will meet us in the CR after her last class ends at 5:30,” I read Jacob the text I received back immediately.

“Good,” Jacob took a long swig, “I’m done at 4. It’ll give me just enough time to emotionally prepare myself for the evening.”

Later that night, Alice drove Jacob and me into downtown Seattle in her pretty, yellow Porsche. Even though she had driven with me that morning, she made Emmett go home and get it for her. She refused to be seen downtown in my truck or in Jake’s Rabbit. Jacob was definitely impressed by the Porsche, but he didn’t say anything like I expected him to. Alice was happy that Jacob was impressed but she didn’t say anything, either. Jacob sat up front with Alice, only because there was no way he would fit in the tiny back seat. Alice turned up the music to a local pop station and the three of us drove in silence, all of us putting the burden of breaking the silence on each other.

I decided it was my responsibility to kick-off their friendship, “You know, Alice, Jacob says werewolves are just as strong as vampires.”

Alice scoffed, “In those squishy bodies? Please.”

Jacob was offended by Alice’s immediate dismissal, “Squishy? You are looking at two-hundred and forty pounds of pure muscle mass, little miss.”

“Oh, don’t get your fur in a bunch. All I meant by that is that you wolves are still human. You have a lot more damage control to worry about.” She turned down the music and turned up the heat. “You could throw me off a cliff and I’d walk away at the bottom completely unscathed.” “Where do I sign up?” “Jake!” I scolded. “What?” He turned back to me, “She offered!” “It wouldn’t be a real comparison unless I could throw you off a cliff as well,” Alice sniffed. “There’s an excellent cliff over in La Push.” “No!” I stuck my head up between the two seats to glare at both of them, “No one is throwing anyone off of a cliff.” Both mythical creatures rolled their eyes at me. “We just need a friendly competition where you would be evenly matched,” I suggested. “Baseball?” “We wouldn’t be evenly matched with them at anything, Bella,” Alice made eye contact with me through the rearview mirror, “There’s no competition.”

Jake narrowed his eyes at her, “No competition, my ass. Have you ever seen a wolf in action?”

“I ate one once, up in Denali. Tasted terrible.”

“A _were_ wolf. We would beat you vampires in anything! We were created to destroy you, and that includes destroying you on the field.”

Alice surprised us both by laughing at Jake’s joke, “Whatever you say, Black. Emmett loves competition. Just say where and what and when. We’ll be there,” she chirped.

Jacob nodded in satisfaction, “Alright then.”

She slid easily into a parking space right in the middle of downtown. Jake let me out of the backseat, and the three of us made our way down Main Street. Alice waited patiently while Jake and I stopped for sandwiches and snacks—she laughed along with us when Jacob stuffed an entire chocolate cupcake in his mouth at once. Then, she made Jacob laugh when she shoved a whole cupcake in her mouth and spewed it right back out into a plant.

Friendship seeds had officially been planted. I was thrilled.

Eventually, we made our way into a classy boutique that I would never have dreamed of walking into. I felt like the lady behind the counter would take one look at my shoes, know I was broke, and chase me out with a broom. Instead, she greeted Alice by name and began pointing out their new arrivals. Alice led Jacob and me towards the back of the store to a large table tastefully packed with jewelry.

“What’s the plan, here?” She asked Jacob.

Jacob had his hands clasped behind his back—he was as uncomfortable in this fancy boutique as I was. “I lied to Angela and told her I accidentally left one of her presents at home. I need something pretty and romantic.”

Alice nodded, “Finding gifts for people is easy!” She plucked a pair of earrings off of the rotating display stand. “All you need to do is decide whether to get the person this particular gift and then wait and watch for their reaction! And then you buy them what gets the best reaction!”

Jacob and I gave each other tentative looks. “Most people don’t have the mental capacity for that technique,” Jake reminded her.

“That sounds like a _you_ problem.” Alice’s eyes became unfocused for just a moment, when she came back to reality, she was smiling. “See? Angela only gave a halfhearted smile when Bella gave her these, so we will just move right along.”

Alice put the earring back from where she took them, but Jake picked them back up, “Well, what happens if I give them to her?”

Alice muttered something unintelligible, but Jake must have been able to pick it up, because he laughed, “Dude, that’s awesome!”

Alice had already moved around the table, switching her focus to a cardigan. “What?” I asked.

Neither of the mythical creatures answered me. Alice continued to peruse through the cardigans, while Jake watched her with a smug smile.

“Alice, what?” I repeated.

She turned at me, unexpectedly upset, “I can’t _see_ werewolves, Bella!” she yelled. We got a few wayward glances in our direction from the outburst, but the shoppers went right back to minding their own business. “Do you need me to tattoo it on to my forehead? Geez!”

She was obviously peeved about this, but my curious nature needed more answers, “What do you mean you can’t see them?”

She tilted her head back and exhaled dramatically before she answered, “I cannot see things when the werewolves are involved. Every time you go to La Push, you disappear to me, because I imagine you’re constantly making decisions that involve Jacob.” Alice turned to the scarves, “We’re just lucky I figured this out while Edward was away. He would have pulled a hernia if he saw you going dark in one of my visions.”

“Does that mean he can’t read my mind?” Jacob asked, hopefully.

Alice shook her head, “No. He can read your mind just fine. We’re not sure what the issue is with me.”

Jacob and I left Alice to her work after that. It was the longest forty-five minutes of my life. She began handing things to either me or Jacob, sorting the objects. I wasn’t sure which of these items were contenders for Angela’s present, and which items Alice was going to end up buying her herself.

Alice gasped suddenly and dropped her armful of dresses onto the floor. Jake was quick to catch them, but Alice was already beelining towards the door and he was unable to hand them to her. He shoved them back onto a rack and the two of us followed after her, dumbfounded.

Outside the shop, Alice was walking a bit too quickly for a convincing human speed; I had to lightly jog to keep up with her.

“Alice?” I tried to ask, but she was already shoving me into the back of the car.

“Edward, it’s Edward!” she cried. My heart stuttered to a stop, then picked up again going double time.

“Edward?” I asked. Alice and Jake slid into the front seats.

Alice looked like she would be crying if such a thing were possible, “The other vampires got him, Bella. We have to go save Edward!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And Yes. When I wrote Bella's line I was indeed thinking, "You like Krabby Patties, don't you Squidward?" and Bella made that face. You know the one.


	26. Wine Glass

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These characters and ideas all belong to Steff Meyer

**E-POV**

When I quite literally came to my senses, all I could feel was fire. The fire burned my throat and spread through my body. I never thought I would experience a pain worse than smelling Bella’s blood that first time, but this was certainly a contender. I tried to move to get myself out of the flames, but I couldn’t pick myself up from the ground.

Nearby thoughts told me what was burning me. I recognized them as one of the employees in the vineyard.

_...might have gone a little overboard with that Vervain. Felix always says..._

Vervain. Fuck.

Through the eyes of this vampire, I saw myself laying pathetically on the ground, perfectly still. I studied the background of the scene so I could figure out where I was. The sky outside was still dark, but I couldn’t be sure if days had passed, or merely minutes. Paned windows reached up overhead, I recognized the common architecture from Esme’s many greenhouses. However, this greenhouse was different from anything Esme ever created: instead of teeming with life and green, brown death hung from the lattices and drooped in their pots. It wasn’t thrilling that the dead plants and I had a striking resemblance.

The vampire assured himself that I will be down for the count for at least two days, and it will be safe for his master to approach me.

Well, great. At least I found Aro.

I was alone again, the pain from the fire made it almost impossible to accurately assess how much time had passed. Seconds dragged on for what felt like hours. Eventually, I heard a different mental voice speaking directly at me.

_Edward._

I didn’t react.

_Edward, I know you can hear me._

I wasn’t going to give this guy the satisfaction of correctly guessing my gift. I continued to stay still. It wasn’t very difficult, because I was hardly able to move through the pain anyway.

His brain was awful to listen to. It would have given me a headache if such a thing were possible. He didn’t think in words unless he wanted to speak to me directly with his thoughts. Otherwise, it was a messy conglomerate of random memories and images in lieu of exact thoughts and emotions. I don’t know how he could stand living in his own mind. Then again, no one would be able to stand living in my mind, as well.

He settled himself on a wrought iron bench across from where I was suffering. “Do you want to know something silly?” He asked out loud.

God, not even a little bit.

He took my stillness as confirmation and continued with his pointless thought. “Humans use wine glasses so they could hold onto the stem of the glass, to preserve the chill of the wine from the warmth of their hand.” He looked at the wine glass filled with human blood in his hand, “But when I use them, I am preserving the warmth of the blood from the chill of my hand.” He laughed lightly at his own little anecdote. “Silly, yes?”

I meant to insult him, but the fire from the Vervain turned my quippy remark into an agonized groan.

 _Edward, you cannot hide your gift from me, because I have a gift of my own._ He began rifling through some thoughts and memories. My thoughts and memories I realized with a start. All of them. This vampire knew every thought I ever had.

 _My name is Aro, and like you, I can hear the thoughts of others. I cannot hear them from a distance like you can, Edward. No._ He took a thoughtful sip from his wine glass. _I have to touch the person in order to hear their thoughts. Even if I hadn’t already known about your gift from my innocent surveillance on your little coven, I would have seen your ability the moment I touched your hand._

He leaned down so his mouth was closer to my ear. “So cut the crap,” he threatened out loud, each word separate and distinct.

He calmed himself with another sip of blood and leaned back on the bench. _Edward, I am going to be honest with you. I find you and your family repulsive monstrosities that soil the purity of our culture. However, because I am a polite person, I am going to give you the benefit of the doubt and treat you with respect._

If force-feeding me a poisonous drug and laying me to writhe in the dirt was treating me with respect, I would love to see what disrespect looked like.

“I’m going to speak out loud to you from now on, Edward. Thinking _at_ you feels so strange, I have no idea how your coven puts up with it.” He recalled some of my silent conversation with Alice or Carlisle in disgust.

“I’m sure you would like an explanation for all of this. I am a benevolent leader, Edward, I really am. My brothers are the same—your siblings that are watching them now will all see that for themselves. I do not particularly enjoy watching one of my own kind writhe in the dirt, but I have to do some uncomfortable things to ensure the safety of my coven. Surely, that is something you can understand.

“You see, Caius, Marcus, and I have greater goals for our race. We are superior to humans in every possible way. Why should we be the ones to hide ourselves in shame? If anything, it should be the humans cowering in fear from us! You don’t see lions shamefully hiding from their prey, no! They’re the king of the jungle! And we are the rightful rulers of this world

“I’m not even asking for that, Edward, it’s a tad dramatic. All I will ask for is a seat in all of the major powers of this world, so vampires have a voice. And if we happen to persuade the humans into voting all vampires into power, well, is that really our fault?”

His unusual mind did not tell me his exact plans for the future, but in the images that flashed through his thoughts, there was a lot of fire and not a lot of peaceful debates. I had a feeling he was not above slaughtering as many people as possible to get what he wanted.

He held up a hand, “Don’t tell me. I already know what you’re going to say. Your master has already found a way, by pretending to be human and living among them. I don’t know why you all have deluded yourself into thinking that’s enough.”

He began to sip from his glass. _I felt the pain from the isolation you felt around those humans, Edward. It broke my heart. You try and you try to be one of them and fail miserably every time. Even now, in the group of your human girlfriend’s friends, you are still the freak and the outcast with a werewolf at the table. You will never be one of them, Edward. You will never be human. It is time for you to drop the charade and embrace what you really are. Join me, join my coven, and you will never have to hide what you are. All you need to do is convince your family to join in on my side of the fight and you can have everything you want._

“And when I say everything, I mean everything. Including…” He brought up to his mind the image of an angel standing in the middle of my meadow, her ethereal white dress surrounded by a halo of golden light from the glow of the fire beside her.

“Bella.”

He riffled through my memories of her smiling, laughing, reading. My heart ached for her. “Simply beautiful, what an excellent find, Edward.” He recalled my memory of Bella tripping on the rug in our living room and falling onto the couch. “Awkward little thing, but that adds to her charm, doesn’t it?”

I growled, pleased that at least that sound could escape my inflamed throat.

“Don’t get fussy, Edward. I am not going to hurt her. I am going to gift her to you. If you join me and bring your family members with you, I will also allow you to turn and keep your little human.

“Unfortunately, the leader of yours will have to go—he’s the fool who led you all down that ridiculous path. The rest of you can decide whether or not you want to keep his mate alive or take her out of her misery. Again, the gift of choice I give to my followers is what makes me such a remarkable leader, don’t you agree?”

“Do we have a deal, Edward? Groan once for yes, twice for no.”

I stayed perfectly still, unwilling to gift this killer He hummed a bit of one of the songs I had written while he waited.

When he saw that I was not going to answer, the hum turned into a growl, “Pity.” He got up from the bench still holding his mow-empty wine glass. “Edward, the sun will be rising in about an hour, so I will need to get inside. You have that time to change your mind. Someone will be listening for you.”

He turned to leave but remembered something. He bent down and pulled the Daylight Amulet ring off of my finger. “Almost forgot. Have fun.”

I was resolved. I refused to force my family into this violent life, that would only end when this gruesome goal came to pass. Giving myself up to this lunatic was one thing, but he would never be satisfied with just me. He was already a mind reader, I would simply make his job slightly more convenient. What he truly desired was Alice. Alice was rare and powerful, and to this guy, utterly irresistible. I would not give this guy Alice, nor any of my family members, which made my choice clear. I was going to die in an hour.

I was going to leave my Bella behind. I recalled the image of our wedding given to me by Alice. No doubt she was watching that image shift and ultimately disappear. That thought brought on a ripple of pain in my chest that quickly overtook the pain from the fire.

I took solace in the fact that Bella would be able to live past this. Although I knew I could not continue to live in this world if Bella was taken out of it, my angel was not as irreversibly altered. Her humanness would allow her to move on and continue her life without me. My family would know what to do in order to take Bella out of this mess. Esme and Carlisle would help her escape, possibly help her build a new identity. Perhaps Charlie would marry his partner, and Bella would live on the reservation with her father under the protection of the wolves.

As I braced myself to burn, all I could do was hope that Bella and I could be reunited in whatever afterlife this universe had to offer.

**B-POV**

“This is how it’s going to work,” Alice began.

The drive to the Napa Valley was over twelve hours, but Alice swore she could make it before sunrise. We were ten hours in. Jake had the front seat leaned all the way back, sound asleep. I was curled in the back, to keyed up to sleep although it was well past 5 in the morning. I nudged Jake’s face with my foot to wake him. He jolted straight up, and bumped his head on the roof of the car. Neither Alice nor I were in the mood to find it funny.

“From what I could see in my vision, they stuck Edward in a sunroom of some sort and they took his ring so he will burn at sunrise. I’m pretty sure they stuffed him with Vervain, unless this coven found something else to cause a vampire enough pain to make them that still.

“Jake, I’m not going to be able to get into the house without an invitation, so you’ll have to be the one to get in and find Edward. Esme and I had researched this vineyard before Edward arrived home. It’s wildly popular for its gothic theme, all of the tastings are in cellar-themed rooms. From what we could tell, there are no windows on the first floor. That means Edward will be somewhere on the top floor. An attic, perhaps, that they had built just for the purpose of killing vampires in a controlled, watched environment.

“Take down anyone in your path. Do you know if you’d be able to control yourself enough to not kill them?”

Jacob rubbed his eyes, still a bit groggy, “I’m not sure. Wolf instincts take over at that point. I’ve never actually encountered a vamp in wolf form, so I don’t know what my instincts will want to do.”

Alice nodded, “Fair enough. If you can control yourself enough to not kill them, that would be greatly appreciated.”

“What about Edward?” I asked, suddenly anxious, “Would you be too dangerous to be around Edward?”

Jake shook his head, “Shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll be self-aware enough to shift back when I find that sunroom.”

Alice continued with her plan, “I can’t exactly see what will happen to the master because you’ll be there Jake, but from what I can tell, he will try to escape, and I will be doing everything in my power to prevent that from happening.”

“What will I do?” I asked.

“Stay here,” my best friends said in unison.

“What? That’s not fair!” I dug through my backpack and pulled out my wooden stake, “I even have this!” I waved it in the air towards the front seat.

“Oh my god!” Alice flinched away from my weapon and lost control of the car for a brief second. “Do you carry around an assault rifle with you too, Bella? Jesus Christ!”

“I want to help!” I put the stake back into my backpack.

Alice took a deep breath to calm herself, “Bella, the best thing you can do for Edward is staying safe.”

I hated that answer. I laid back down and stuck my feet over the center console so they were on Jake’s chest. He took one of my feet in his large hands and began lightly massaging it—a gesture that was so much like Edward, I wanted to burst into tears.

An hour later, Alice pulled the car onto a dirt path. She drove a ways and then stopped. She turned off the car and got out. Jake followed after her, leaving me alone in the car. Together, they pulled a couple of trees out to make a Porsche-sized opening, pushed the car into its hiding spot, and put the trees back into their holes. I watched them with my jaw hanging open like an idiot.

Alice pointed into the forest, “The vineyard is through there a couple of miles in. You go straight there, while I take a roundabout route to try to cut off some runners.”

Jacob rolled both of his shoulders and cracked his neck, “How many vampires will be there?”

“A dozen or so.”

Jacob pressed his hands to the small of his back and pushed his hips forward, “See you on the other side.”

Alice darted into the trees. Jacob gave me a small smile and a brief little wave, “See ya, Bella.” He shook violently and almost exploded into an enormous rust-colored wolf. I

had to cover my own mouth to stop the scream from escaping. The wolf ran into the woods where Alice had pointed.

I sat back in my seat, peeved. It wasn’t fair! Just because I was a human, didn’t mean there was nothing I could do to save Edward. I crawled over the center console into the front seat. Wooden stake in hand, I followed after Jake into the woods. I stumbled through the woods, tripping on rocks or roots.

Twenty minutes in, I came across an abandoned structure. The structure was made entirely of glass, save a small section around the bottom of horizontal planks slowly rotting away. Most of the glass was still intact, but some of the window panes were replaced with more rotting planks or overrun with plant growth. There was a large tree growing inside toward the front, that took out a large portion of the glass roof. The remains of this old greenhouse were both beautiful and haunting.

A greenhouse! I recalled Alice’s statement from before, that Edward trapped in a sunroom because of all the windows, but maybe, the windows she saw were part of a greenhouse!

“Edward!” I cried as I wrenched the door open. It was creepy in here. Dead vines and branches hung from the ceiling like stalagmites in a cave. It looked like the perfect place for a villainous group of vampires to commit atrocities. Towards the back of the greenhouse, I could just make out an arm splayed out on the ground. I prayed it was still attached to a body,

“Edward!” I ran past the abandoned rows of plant boxes filled with decay. Around the corner, laying in the dirt, was Edward.

I fell to my knees in relief. He was absolutely still with his eyes closed, which was wrong—vampires didn’t sleep. A struggling breath told me that he was still alive.

I touch his face, “Edward?”

His lips moved infinitesimally. I wondered if he had just spoken to me, but it was too quiet for me to hear.

Frustrated tears blurred my vision, “Edward, I can’t hear you. We need to get out of here!”

Outside, I could see the sky was getting lighter—the sun would be peeking over the horizon right about now. We had some time before it would rise about the tree line and burn him.

He wasn’t moving. I grabbed his arm and began to pull. He was so heavy, like he was made of stone. I kept pulling even though I knew I was getting absolutely nowhere.

“Edward,” I whimpered, hopeless and helpless. Like that pathetic little human I was, I released his arm, giving up.

The sky was now pink. The sun would come into view any moment now. I knew Edward would burn in the sunlight, but I wasn’t sure how long he would last and whether or not the burns would be lethal.

There was one thing I could try. I hoped that in real-life vampire lore, it was only their skin that could not touch the sunlight. If I could cover up all of his skin, maybe he could be able to survive the exposure.

I took off my coat, and my shirt underneath and stuck my shirt over Edward’s exposed face and neck. His arms were too big to fit inside the arms of my coat, so that wouldn’t work. I tore off my shoes, then my pants, and shoved Edward’s arms into the holes of my pants, and pulled my socks over his hands, to act as mittens.

Please, please let clothes be enough protection. A ray shone into the greenhouse, bathing Edward and me in golden sunlight. I waited a few moments with bated breath, hoping and praying that he was alright.

I exhaled sharply.

He was okay.

I felt around my shirt, trying to find his lips with my fingers. When I thought I felt them, I gave him a kiss over the fabric. I could swear they were turned up into a small smile.

With Edward safe from the sunlight, I took the time to put back on my coat to cover my near-nakedness. I wedged myself under the table beside Edward to keep myself somewhat hidden while I waited for Jake or Alice to follow my scent and find me here. Occasionally, I would stretch out to give Edward’s forehead a few encouraging kisses.

“Bella?” Jake’s voice broke the eerie silence.

“Jake?” His quick footsteps followed the sound of my voice. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw me under the table, then he averted his gaze, “Jesus Christ, Bella. Where are your pants?”

“Currently serving a greater purpose.” I used both hands to gesture at Edward’s arms, “You’re one to talk.” Jacob himself was only wearing a pair of black leggings which left little to the imagination.

He swept his arms out on either side of him, “This was all I could find in that stupid house.”

“Can you move him?” I asked. “I think the Vervain really fucked him up—he won’t budge.” “

Yeah, yeah. I got him.” he knelt beside Edward, “I’m gonna carry you out of here, man. Don’t freak out at me.”

Jake lifted Edward off the ground. He chuckled and shook his head at something.

“What?” I looked around and saw nothing, and I looked back at Edward, “Did he say something, Jake?”

“He said he wants to marry you.”

“Oh, Edward!” I hopped up and clasped my hands under my chin, “I do! Or—er, yes!” I bent down to kiss where I thought Edward’s lips were under my shirt.

Jacob jerked Edward’s body back, “Y’all can celebrate when we’re in a little less peril, Bells.”

“Oh!” I jumped back, shaking my hands, “Right!”

Jacob threw Edward over his shoulder and laughed again, “I would wait until she was wearing something other than just her smiley cupcake underwear, Dude.” I flushed and pulled my jacket tighter around me. Why did these things have to happen on laundry day? 

I followed behind Jake back through the greenhouse, watching Edward’s torso bob up and down. Once we were outside, Jacob threw me over his other shoulder and took off into the woods. I yelled and protested, but we did arrive back at the car sooner than we would have if he let me walk. There was no reason to keep Edward in sunlight any longer than necessary.

“You will never do anything like that to me again, Edward… Think of Carlisle and Esme and…” Alice was scolding her brother the second we were in her sight, “…and another thing, Edward Cullen! If that dress I had to put back because you got kidnapped was purchased by someone else, you WILL owe me three others in its place!”

Jacob plopped me on the ground. He and Alice shoved Edward into the backseat of Alice’s tiny Porsche. They had to leave him sitting up, with his head tilted at an awkward angle, because he couldn’t quite fit. I crawled in after him. I buckled the seatbelt around him because I knew that would annoy him, and settled on his lap.

With Edward safe and at my side, I was finally able to fall asleep in the Porsche. Several hours in, Alice shook me awake to inform me that we would be back under the protection of the clouds in eight minutes, and I could take my clothes off of him. When it was time, I eagerly tore my shirt off his head, more than ready to see his face again. I put both my pants and shirt back on and settled myself against his chest. For his first movement on his own, he wound his arm around my waist and hid his face in my hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to be clear, the vampires serve human actual wine made of grapes. The blood "wine" is only for vampires.


	27. Minor Setback

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These characters and ideas all belong to Stephanie Meyer

**B-POV**

By the time we entered the state of Washington, Edward was well enough to speak at an audible-to-me volume and grace my skin with the occasional kiss. Per his instruction, I used his phone to call Jasper, Rosalie, and Carlisle and tell them to come home immediately and promised a family meeting as soon as possible on his behalf.

With the events of the evening off-limits until the family meeting, Alice and Jacob spent the car ride discussing the possible logistics of the upcoming competition between the vampires and the wolves. Edward suggested an Olympics-style event, that way the wolves could choose several events to try to win. Alice and Jake loved it. With their friendship seeds officially taking root, Alice dropped Jacob as closely to the border as she was permitted. Jacob promised me that he was fine to run home, and _pinky_ promised that he wouldn’t get sick from the rain.

Back at the Cullen house, Emmett and Esme were already waiting in the garage for our arrival. Emmett and Esme helped Edward walk to the house—to me it seemed that Edward needed the emotional support from his mom and brother more than the physical support. By the time I got up to his bedroom on the third floor, Esme was sandwiched between her sons on Edward’s bed; Emmett animatedly recounted a story for the two. Emmett and Esme made room for me in the middle of the sandwich, and I happily wedged myself in. Alice joined us as well, squeezing onto the end, claiming that Edward’s half of the bread was looking “a little limp.” We stayed crammed together for hours. Alice, Esme, and Emmett caught Edward up on all the goings-on at the house while he was away.

As the evening progressed, one by one the Cullens left the bed as their mates returned home. Edward explained that they all had little love nests like the cabin he took me to sprinkled around the Northwest Pacific. He said that the other couples wouldn’t be back for at least a day. I skipped my classes the next day as well, so Edward and I could spend time in our own little nest. Edward was a real vampire now—without his magical ring he could no longer survive the sunlight. He claimed that he would be safe under the constant blanket of clouds over Forks, but I refused to take any risk. I kept the shades drawn and the skylight closed. We stayed curled up together in his dark room.

Late that afternoon, Edward was strong enough to sit up and walk around on his own. He pulled me downstairs to his grand piano, which he pretended to miss more than he missed me with a dramatic performance. He played through the song he wrote when we met at least five times through, sprinkled between a dozen half-written songs he said he wrote about me while he was away. I could never get over the grace and beauty with which he played. His fingers moved quickly along the keys, never faltering, weaving together melodies and chords so enchanting, the world around us seemed to brighten and glow.

Part-way through the sixth rendition of our first song, Edward glanced up briefly from the keys and said, “Yeah, yeah I heard you the first time. Give me ten minutes.”

Emmett had other ideas. He appeared out of nowhere and placed his large hand over Edward’s head, “Carlisle says you need to hunt and we’re going on a boys-only hunting trip.” He pointed at me, “No girls allowed, _Bella_.”

I stuck my tongue out at him.

Jasper and Alice entered the living room through the back door. “Alice says we need to leave now,” Jasper said.

I pouted at Alice for support, but she backed up her husband’s statement instead. “I was looking at the boys’ favorite hunting region because I was worried it was going to rain because Edward doesn’t like hunting in the rain anymore because your scent washes off of his clothes and it makes him miss you more…” I stifled a giggle, Edward put his face in his hands to hide his embarrassment. “...and I saw that it will rain-free for the most of the evening, with the rain picking up promptly at 12:52, so the boys need to get going.” She beamed.

“Thank you, Alice,” Edward said, still hiding his face.

Jasper nodded, “Carlisle’s waiting in the garage. See you there.” And then Emmett, Alice, and Jasper were gone as quickly as they had arrived.

Edward shifted our positions so I was more conveniently sitting on his lap and leaned in to kiss me. His lips moved against mine slowly, passionately. There was no urgency in the kiss, like he was telling me we had all the time in the world. His tongue grazed across my bottom lip then pressed my tongue to the top of my mouth, making the kiss more open. This was a kiss to make me want more; to ensure that I would miss him.

Too soon, he pulled back. His eyes, closer to onyx today, sparkled with desire. “I love you, Bella.”

“I love you too.”

He stood up, still holding me. He started rubbing me against his body like he was drying himself off with a towel. I squealed and protested, but he ignored me.

“Now, I have covered every inch of me with your scent. I won’t have to miss you at all,” he smiled, brushing off his embarrassment from Alice’s oversharing with a joke. “I will be back as soon as I can,” he placed me on the back on the piano bench.

“ _Soon_ ,” I stressed. He pulled up one corner of his mouth into my favorite crooked smile, touched my cheek, and vanished.

I looked around the large, open living room. There was really no reason for me to stay here without Edward. I had planned to spend the entire long weekend here with Edward and told Charlie I wouldn’t be home until Sunday night, but perhaps Edward and I could spend the rest of the weekend at my house instead. It was a bit more comfortable to get intimate with Edward without a houseful of vampires with acute hearing.

I asked Esme if she could drive me home since I abandoned my truck to run off with Alice and Jake. She pointed out the window to my truck and explained that she and Emmett grabbed it from the school parking so it wouldn’t raise suspicion. The keys were in the ignition and I set off towards my house at a comfortable, human speed.

Once at home, I immediately tripped on a box sitting in the entryway of my house and crashed into the small table that decorated the space. A vase teetered off the edge and hit me on the head. Luckily, the vase didn’t break, but its contents still spilled all over me, soaking my hair and causing wet flower petals to stick onto my skin.

“Isabella?” Charlie called. He rushed into the room and sighed when he saw me relatively unharmed.

“I’m okay, Dad,” I huffed, picking myself up from the floor a moment or two after I realized he wasn’t reaching down to help me. “Who left that stupid box here, anyway?”

I turned to glare at the offending tripping hazard and faltered when I saw my own name scrawled across the top in Charlie’s messy handwriting. “What is this?” I asked.

Charlie cleared his throat, “I was in the middle of writing you a letter. You’re home early.”

“Yeah, sorry about that,” I muttered, still staring at the box. I looked around and noticed it wasn’t the only one. Packed boxes were scattered and stacked all over the house. “Are we moving?”

“Well, better to tell you in person, Bells. Billy has decided to downsize and has asked me to move in with him, so I am moving to La Push.”

His use of singular pronouns did not escape my notice. Billy was “downsizing” and taking Charlie with him. What was going to happen to Jake, to _me_? This couldn’t be happening.

Charlie was uncharacteristically gushing out words as he took things out of the front closet and stuffed them into a box. I had never seen him so happy in his life. “There’s a shotgun home for us on the reservation, ADA compliant and everything. Can you believe it? Finally, after all these years, he’s ready to...”

I kept my voice low and controlled, “So you and Billy are moving?”

Charlie turned bright red, clearly, this was the part he wanted to put in the letter and avoid entirely, “Well, Bells. Billy said Jake found an apartment with his friends Seth and Leah right off campus, and that they were looking for a fourth roommate.” I wondered from which orifice Billy pulled out that lie. “I thought you wanted to live on campus, Bells, so I took the offer on your behalf.”

I wanted to fight back, to call Billy out, but Charlie looked so _happy_... “You’re right, I do.”

Charlie smiled the bigger and brighter than I had ever seen, “Perfect! This is all going perfectly!” He surprised me by pulling me in for a big hug.

He handed me a stack of flattened boxes, “Put those together for your old man, would you?” More words tumbled out of his mouth, explaining that my new, fake address was in the letter, that they were expecting me in the next few days, and when the house would need to be cleared out fully for open houses.

Charlie turned to me when he was done speaking, his face kind and earnest, “Thank you for supporting this, Bella. I can’t remember the last time I’ve been this excited about anything.”

“Of course,” was all I could manage to say.

After the boxes were taped together, I stumbled through the front door with my stuff. I struggled to put the heavy box into the bed of the truck, but managed. I looked up at the sky and silently begged it to keep the rain off for a little longer. But, just to mock me, a few fat drops of rain hit me right in my face. I was about to hop into the truck, when Billy pulled up in his handicap minivan. He didn’t get out of the car.

“Isabella, you’re home early,” he said—it seemed to be the catchphrase of the evening.

I walked up to his window, “You and Charlie are taking a big step.” I attempted to replicate an intimidating power-pose. Unfortunately, a teddy bear had better intimidation tactics than I did.

He acted as if he didn’t just trick my father into kicking me out of the house. “It’s about time. It was lucky that you and Jacob found that apartment at the same time Charlie and found that house. You know we put this off for the sake of you kids.”

I wasn’t in the mood to play these little games with Billy. “Billy, you didn’t move in with Charlie before because your son was a volatile werewolf.”

Anger flashed in his dark eyes; Billy was not in the mood for games either. “I will no longer let you inflict those _things_ onto the people I love, Isabella. I don’t know what that ginger boy has done to trick you into staying with him, or what those ladies have been doing to Charlie, but it has gone on for far too long.”

The back door of the van slid open on its own, startling me. Billy fiddled with the van for a bit until he wheeled himself back and onto the van’s wheelchair ramp his son lovingly installed for him. His menacing stare cut through me, making me feel more raw and open than any wound I’ve endured.

Billy wasn’t finished. “Then—because of you—those leeches have now mind-controlled my own _son_. He’s gone crazy--raving at the council meetings that the Cullen’s are safe, coming home covered in their scent, posing new laws for the treaty to give more leeway to those _fucking_ bloodsuckers.

“I would ask you politely, but we are _way_ past that. You _will_ stay away from them, Isabella.” He threatened, “Charlie and Jacob both. I will not allow them to be in any more danger because of your stupid decisions. If you want to die at the teeth of those monsters, be my guest. But Charlie and Jacob will not have the same fate if I can help it.”

I tried to sound as intimidating as he did, but the shaking in my voice ruined the threat, “And what if Charlie misses me and wants to see _me_?”

Billy was certain. “He won’t.” He began wheeling past me, towards the front door of the house. “I’ll make sure of that.”

I watched Billy enter the house and was able to hear the burst of Charlie’s excitement upon his partner’s arrival. Billy was right, Charlie will most certainly not miss me. I shut the door to the truck, just as rain poured from the sky. I groaned. My poor books...

I planned my new life as a homeless person while I took the familiar route towards the Cullen’s house. They would let me stay until I could find a place to go. Perhaps, I could stay in Jess and Angela’s room on campus on the nights Jessica stayed with Mike. I could switch between their room and the Cullen’s house, that way I wouldn’t have to be a permanent burden on anyone, just a minor inconvenience every few days.

As I started driving down the Cullen’s long driveway, I began to panic. It was the first time I was ever truly afraid to enter the house of vampires. What was I supposed to say to them? Due to my actions my best friend has been disowned by his father and kicked out of his house? My father eagerly jumped at the first opportunity to finally be rid of his unwanted daughter? Before this, the Cullen’s had blindly accepted me out of love and respect for Edward; would they still turn that blind eye? Would they still want a menace like me inflicted onto their perfect son and brother? How could they?

I stopped the truck halfway down the drive so I could rethink this plan. The rational part of my brain reminded me that Edward’s family weren’t the only ones who would realize just how unwanted and unwantable I was from tonight’s events, but Edward himself could have this epiphany. Suddenly nauseous, I laid across the bench seat of the truck. If Edward saw me without the rose-colored glasses of love, I would lose everything. I laid in the darkness for a long time, listening to the pounding of rain on the metal roof, presumably ruining my books in the box out back. It was looking more and more like I was about to lose it all in one night: Charlie, Edward, and now my _books_.

“Bella?” I recognized the voice. It was a reminder that there was good in a cold, cruel world, like the first crocus of spring after a long winter. “Why are you sitting out here, baby?”

Esme climbed into the truck beside me. I let her gather my body and tucked myself into her side. She ran her fingers through my hair to soothe me. I could feel her occasionally pick something out of my hair and was embarrassed to remember that I was still wet and covered in petals and leaves.

“He didn’t want me, Esme.” I whispered into the dark.

Esme was gently combing a knot out of my hair to extract the pedal, “Who, Bella?”

My voice shook, “Charlie.”

“Oh, baby, that’s not true.”

“It is!” I wailed. “I’m sure he was thrilled to finally have an out, to finally be rid of me.”

“Bell—” Esme started but I didn’t want to hear any more of her kind, meaningless words.

I told Esme about Billy’s threats and Charlie’s plans. “Sure, Charlie was gruff and never truly knew what to do with me, and never tried to improve our communication, but deep down, I always figured he loved me! The two of us were just socially awkward and that was why our relationship never got anywhere… right? How could Charlie just about to pick up and leave? He barely gave me two thoughts. Jumped the second Billy asked him to stay.”

“Charlie loves you.” Esme’s diligent hands stopped detangling for a brief moment as she composed herself, then she set right back to work. “Charlie and Billy are silly and in love. In my many years I’ve seen many people do many foolish things for love. I believe I’ve met a girl willing to risk her own life by associating herself with a family of vampires for love.”

She squeezed my arm and I ducked my face into her hair. “Put yourself in their shoes, pet. If you thought for a moment that Edward was in danger because of us, would you not try to protect him? If Edward reached out his hand and asked you to run off with him, would you not take it?”

I saw her point. I would have given up Charlie for Edward without a moment’s hesitation.

“You are loved and cherished and mixed up in an unfortunate situation. I am so sorry that Billy took Charlie from you because of us.”

I was appalled, “This is not your fault at all!” She smiled sadly, “Oh, but it is. It’s the tragic life of being a vampire. Once you turn, you’ll see. We leave most towns messier than they were when we arrived.”

Esme stroked my hair and removed petals while I soaked in her words. “Would you like to go home, Bella?” she asked after a long time.

“I don’t have a home,” I croaked.

Esme squeezed my shoulder, “Sweet girl. Our home is yours. You are already my daughter in my heart.”

“Edward wouldn’t mind?”

She snorted daintily, “Trust me, darling, Edward will be absolutely beside himself with joy.”

“Come now,” she hugged me close, “Let’s get you in a hot shower and soft pajamas. The girls wanted to have a movie night, and you are more than welcome to join. I’ve always wanted to try to pop popcorn in one of those little bags.” Esme took me in her arms and kicked open the door of the truck.

“My books,” I yelped helplessly.

Esme waved them off, “Rosalie will get them," and she ran me down the rest of the drive to the house.

Once I was showered and donned in some of Rosalie’s pajamas, Esme stuck me on the chaise section on their large couch in the living room. My books were already laid out around the house, beginning the drying process Esme promised would bring them back to life.

Alice perched on the back of the couch, trying to discern my expression. “Would you like me to call Edward, Bella?” she asked discreetly.

It was shameful, but I needed his reassurance now more than ever. “Would he be upset?”

“No, never with you.” Her voice was a little too high.

She dialed a number on her phone. Edward picked up after just one ring. Her voice was a soft buzz, most likely explaining my shameful story and profusely apologizing for my abhorrent neediness.

Esme entered the living room carrying four bags of popcorn and handed a bag to both Alice and I even though I would be the only one eating it. Rosalie sauntered into the room, grabbed a steaming bag and curled up against her mother in the loveseat. Alice clicked a few buttons on the remote and an opening montage of the girls in Delta Nu began to play on their enormous TV.

Elle Woods was at the costume party when Edward arrived. He was soaking wet from running through the woods in the rain. He wiped his feet on the welcome mat, despite the fact that his pant legs were caked in mud. He gave my forehead a quick kiss before disappearing up the stairs. He was back minutes later in gray sweatpants and a tight t-shirt; he certainly knew how to make me feel better. Esme handed him a bag of popcorn and he grabbed a large knit blanket from a basket behind the couch. He jumped over the back of the couch to squeeze himself behind me. Alice nestled into the couch beside us. Edward extended one arm out to pull her closer to us and cradled me in the other.

I peeked across the room and made eye contact with Rosalie. Her dark eyes softened under my gaze and she pulled her lips up into a tentative smile. She winked at me and threw a piece of popcorn so it landed perfectly in Edward’s tangled hair.

“Very mature, Rose,” Edward muttered.

Alice plucked a piece out of her bag as well and gingerly placed it on his head as well. I giggled; Edward smiled at the sound.

“Now girls, leave your brother alone,” Esme scolded, before she, too, sent a piece of her popcorn sailing through the air.

I spent the rest of the night wrapped in a blanket, watching popcorn land on Edward’s head, and listening to Elle Woods win her case. Eventually, my eyes began to droop. I fell asleep to the warmth of love and the sound of laughter of my new family.


	28. Rules and Regulations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just so everyone is aware, the Cullen kids love Bella. They just love teasing their brother over his overprotective tendencies more. :) 
> 
> These characters and ideas belong to Stephanie Meyer

**E-POV**

I was elated that my darling Bella was taking a permanent residence in the Cullen household. I was also a bit miffed that it wasn’t under more romantic circumstances; I wished I could have asked her to move in with me with a grand gesture, I even had part of a song written out for the occasion. Regardless, she was here, and I was happy to have her.

This evening, Bella and I lay in my bed, her sleeping head on my chest, my right arm wrapped around her, my left hand holding hers. Ever since my return, this is how I spent my nights. I was quite surprised when she requested that I stay with her throughout the night, but I preferred it this way. I found it absolutely fascinating to watch her sleep, especially when she spoke. And especially when she whispered my name, whispered how much she loved me. My cold, still heart flooded with warmth each time I heard those beautiful, impossible words from her parted lips.

Tonight, she twisted and turned in bed, the words escaping her lips not quite romantic, but still charming. “No one has ever called me ‘Dude’,” she muttered before she let go of my hand and flopped over onto her stomach. On any other night, I would have coaxed her sleeping body to come back to me, but tonight, I used the opportunity to get out of bed without disturbing her. I texted my siblings to meet me downstairs.

Bella and I would marry, however, we did not need a signed certificate nor a legal name change to bring her into the family. In my eyes, she was already an official member of the Cullen family. I wanted her to feel like she was part of the family as well, rather than an extended house guest. In order to make sure she felt like she belonged, there were several issues I needed to discuss with my siblings. I needed Bella to be sound asleep during the conversation. I didn’t want her feelings to get hurt, which was exactly what this conversation was trying to prevent.

When I heard all four mental voices coming from the dining room, I kissed Bella’s hair and silently promised her I would be right back.

“Are we allowed to have one of these without mom and dad?” Emmett asked when I arrived.

“This meeting doesn’t concern them.” Esme and Carlisle treated everyone with the utmost courtesy and care, and my Bella was no exception.

Rosalie narrowed her eyes at me, immediately suspicious, “What is this meeting about?”

“We have a human living in our house and there are some things I would like to discuss to make said human feel as welcomed and as comfortable as possible.”

“Why am I here?” Alice pouted dramatically, “I’m Bella’s favorite.”

That was debatable, but it would have to be a discussion for another day. “Because you brought her to a vineyard filled with vampires and then left her alone in your car.”

Alice was insulted, “And she saved you!”

“Which was her only stroke of luck in nineteen years.” I ran my hand through my hair, “I don’t even want to think about what could have happened to her if anyone found her before she found me.” I digressed before the terror could envelop me entirely.

Alice crossed her arms and looked away, “You’re welcome for saving you,” she muttered sarcastically.

“Which brings us to our first rule: No one is to bring Bella towards any danger. Ever.”

“Rules?” Rosalie asked. “You’re giving us rules to follow for interacting with your human?”

I continued without addressing Rose, “Rule number two: no one is allowed to comment on any aspect of her humanness.” I looked at my siblings one at a time as I spoke, “No referring to her as “The Human”. No commenting on what she’s eating, how much she’s eating, when she’s sleeping, what she does when she’s sleeping, her sight, her hearing,” I glared pointedly at Emmett, “her speed.”

Emmett threw his hands up, “But, man, she’s so slow! I can actually _feel_ my immortality draining away when I have to walk anywhere with her.”

“And after you said that to her, how many times did she fall because she started walking faster to accommodate you?”

“Only eight!” he said proudly, thinking he just dropped a sick burn.

“Even just one time is unacceptable, Emmett!”

Rose was already over this conversation, “Sounds to me like Bella needs to grow a pair.”

“Next rule!” I smacked the table, never breaking eye contact with Rose, “No insulting Bella.”

All of my siblings groaned.

 _I guess the pool is out of the question,_ Emmett let slip before he realized what he just thought and who he just thought it around.

“What was that?” I asked him through my teeth.

Rosalie, Alice, and Jasper all shot Emmett a look. He was always the worst one at keeping secrets.

“We have a pool going on for the next thing Bella is going to break in the house,” he admitted.

“Who’s winning that?” Rosalie asked Emmett.

“So far Esme is,” Alice said. “She has all her money on cups, and Bella has broken four.”

I could not believe what I was hearing. “You have a--”

Jasper addressed the chagrin and horror I knew he could sense pouring out of me, “Oh, don’t give us that look; Bella has money on your car and your record player.”

I stood up from my chair, furious at this ridiculous joke made at my love’s expense, “Consider it canceled! I will not have anyone encouraging her to get hurt.”

“Edward,” Rosalie frowned, “she may be in love with you, but she’s not an idiot. She’s a rational, capable adult. And if she wants to total your car for a chance to win thirty-five dollars, that’s her prerogative as a rational, capable adult.”

Alice’s voice was gentler than her sister’s. “No one is encouraging her to get hurt, Edward. We’re simply poking fun at one of her charming flaws, like we do at your dramatic flair, or Rosalie’s toenails, or the way Jasper says ‘wash’. We’re treating her like a Cullen sibling.”

“She takes jokes well, Edward,” Jasper pointed out. “You’re going to make her feel isolated if she’s not the butt of any jokes.”

It pissed the hell out of me that they made decent points. I sat back down at the table, defeated. “Fine. Put me down for the little string on the shades in my room,” I said, making a little gesture of pulling down a rope. I knew my angel better than anyone; I would take my revenge on them by taking all of their money.

“Which brings us to our final point, someone is to have eyes or ears on Bella at all times. With that coven out there, I will not have her unprotected for a single second.”

“What about when y’all are fuckin?” Emmett asked.

I closed my eyes and sighed heavily, “If Bella and I are making love, I would clearly be there.”

Rosalie spoke up, “And Bella’s alright with being watched all of the time?”

“I love Bella with everything that I am, but believe me, she is not the person to ask about self-preservation. She wouldn’t know self-preservation if it hit her on the head.” I knew I should be thankful for the trait that allows Bella to feel comfortable in a romantic relationship with a bloodthirsty monster, but sometimes, it genuinely scared the hell out of me. And with this new threat looming over the family, Isabella Marie Swan will not be wandering off into the woods alone ever again.

I clasped my hands on the table, “That’s about it. I just wanted to make sure that Bella’s well-being remains at the forefront of everybody’s minds.”

The thoughts around the table were exclusively Korean, the language I promised to never learn so my family could indulge in private thoughts around me. Even Emmett, who rarely used this tactic to keep me out, unless he was planning something at my expense.

“Do you have something you’d like to say, Emmett?” “I think Bella should also have to accommodate us, all well. After all, she is living in our house. She should have to follow rules for my well-being.”

The thought of my sweet, selfless Bella making anyone feel uncomfortable was laughable. I humored Emmett by asking, “Like what?”

He had his answer ready, “She can’t eat oatmeal.”

“Oatmeal?” I repeated.

“Yeah, she makes the grossest sounds when she eats oatmeal. It’s this wet smacking.” He replicated what he thought she sounded like, which wasn’t accurate at all.

Rosalie gagged. “Ew, I’m with Emmett. No oatmeal.”

“Should we write her a list?” Emmett suggested. “You _know_ how humans be forgettin’.”

“No,” I growled, but naturally I was ignored, and my siblings agreed with Emmett. He was out of the room and black in an instant, with the sizable whiteboard Esme had in her office. He wrote out the first rule on the board: Bella cannot eat oatmeal. He thought for a few seconds, and followed up with a second rule: Bella cannot let her cereal get too soggy.

He explained himself to me, “If she lets it sit too long, the crunchy eating sounds turn into the mushy eating sounds, which, we all agreed, is intolerable.” I only glared at him.

He addressed the table, “Anyone else?”

“She can’t throw up in here,” Alice shook her head. “I am not having a human throw up anywhere near me.”

“And what would you like me to do if she gets sick?” I demanded.

“I don’t care, just get her out of the house.”

“She could puke in the woods,” Jasper suggested.

“She’s not an animal! We’re not going to throw her out of the house for getting sick.” Alice frowned at my completely reasonable push-back.

“Does it only have to be if she gets a stomach bug or can it be any sickness?” Jasper asked. “I don’t think I want to listen to her blow her nose, either.”

Alice smacked her husband’s hand that was sitting on the table a few times, “Excellent point, Baby.”

“Or imagine her coughing.” He made a face, “Phlegm.”

Alice stuck her tongue out, “Yuck. Get all that outta here.”

“So,” I interjected, “If Bella gets sick at all you want her out of the house?” I hoped that if I put it bluntly, they would all realize how insane they sounded.

“Yeah, man.” Jasper nodded, “Humans are disgusting.”

Emmett looked at me seriously, “Did you know a dog’s tongue is cleaner than a human’s?” I imagined myself ripping out his tongue and feeding it to a dog. That would shut him up.

Emmett wrote on the whiteboard, “Bella cannot get sick.” My siblings muttered their approval of the rule. I scowled.

“Anyone else?” Emmett repeated.

“I don’t like the way she enters rooms,” Rosalie stated, narrowing her eyes.

My eyebrows shot up. “Are you joking?” I asked.

Rosalie explained herself without apology, “She does this annoying little knock and hunches over with her hands clasped together,” Rosalie demonstrated the action for the table, then sat back in her chair. “Get over yourself and get in the fucking room. I heard your _entire_ walk over here.”

Emmett nodded and read as he wrote out, “Bella cannot walk into rooms.”

“Emmett,” I growled.

He thought for a moment and reworked the statement, “Bella cannot walk into any rooms that Rose is already in.”

“Emmett!” There was absolutely no way they were going to ban Bella from anywhere in the house.

He put the marker down and looked at me, exasperated, “Dude, you’re being unreasonable; you’re not trying to work with us at all!”

“ _I’m_ being unreasonable?!” I nearly shrieked.

“And she needs to exfoliate more.” Rose added, “Her skin cells are everywhere in the house. I feel like they’re on me right now; it’s disgusting.” Jasper frowned, and began scratching at his skin, convinced he could feel them too.

I was actually speechless.

“I’ll get her a heavy-duty body scrub,” Alice promised her sister.

“Can we get her to shower twice a day?” Rose asked Alice, “Once might not be enough.”

“Sure we can, it’ll be easy to get her to spill something on herself,” Alice thought briefly of how Bella, “Or we’ll just tell her she smells.”

“No!” I argued. “We are not going to make her feel like she’s a parasite. Leave every part of her body alone!”

Emmett read out loud, “Bella is to shower twice daily.” “

This is kinda fun,“ Rosalie admitted, “What else does she do that’s annoying?”

I buried my face in my hands. I should have known that my simple request to treat my girlfriend with respect would become a joke to my siblings.

“Wears a necklace over a turtleneck,” Alice suggested.

“She did that once, after you told her to accessorize more,” I countered.

“The hiccup she makes after she sneezes,” Rose said.

“That little hiccup is adorable!” I argued.

“She doesn’t pull off the color yellow well,” Emmett noted.

“Oh, come on, you guys!” I objected. “These aren’t even rules; you’re all just complaining about her!”

I was ignored completely. “Says miss-CHEEVY-us rather than MISS-chuh-vuss,” Jasper added.

Once they reached rule twenty-five, I just about had it. I pushed myself away from the dining room and stalked back up to my bedroom. Bella was still on her stomach, stretched across the bed. I smiled and rolled back into bed. My siblings may have created a mockery of my meeting, but that didn’t diminish the magic that she was really here, living with me, forever. I ignored my siblings plotting and laughing downstairs, and focused instead on the angel beside me.

Too soon, morning came and Bella began to stir. She rubbed her eyes, and looked up at me and saw that I was already staring at her. A blush rose in her cheeks, tinting the glowing alabaster with toasty scarlet.

“You’re in a good mood,” she yawned, “Why’s that?”

“Every morning, the thing I love most in the world wakes up and looks up at me like _that_ , and you ask why I’m in a good mood?” I peppered her face with kisses; she squirmed and giggled under my attack. When the assault subsided, she moved her head so it rested on my shoulder.

“Would you like breakfast in bed?” I asked, adjusting myself to make her more comfortable, “I recently learned that I’m incredible at flipping pancakes.”

She stretched out her legs and then rubbed them together like a cozy, little cricket, “Mmm. That sounds nice, but I’m okay.” She threw off the blanket and swung her legs off the bed. She rummaged through my drawers for a pair of warm socks to put on, as she did every morning before she went down for her cup of coffee.

“Did Alice tell you the weather?” She asked, like I knew she would.

“Thunderstorms all day.”

“Oh,” she chirped, “Wonderful!”

She fiddled with the string on the blinds above the bed. Her eyebrows drew together when she noticed it was stuck. She tugged it again. Then again a little harder. Then she tugged it a third time with all of her might, causing the little plastic bit at the top to break off. I caught it before it bonked her on the head.

I smiled to myself-- _that’s my girl._

“Shoot,” she mumbled, looking down at the loose string in her hands. “Sorry.”

I kissed her nose. “No problem.” We walked down the two flights of stairs at her speed, hand-in-hand. I pulled her towards the kitchen, hoping she wouldn’t notice the latest addition to Esme’s impeccable decor. Unfortunately, my brilliant Bella missed nothing. She released my hand and stopped to inspect the new object.

“Edward?” Bella stood in front of the whiteboard Emmett brought into the family room labeled HOUSE RULES. She read through the rules with a little crease between her eyebrows. I kissed the crease and tried to guide her towards the kitchen and away from the whiteboard, but she kept her feet planted firmly on the ground.

“It’s a joke, Sweetheart. My siblings think they’re funny.”

“Bella cannot bring almond milk in the house?” she read rule number nineteen out loud.

“Emmett doesn’t trust almond milk,” I explained. His exact thought on the matter was, _almonds don’t have nipples_ , but Bella didn’t need to be exposed to the inner workings of his bizarre mind.

She bit her perfect lip and furrowed her brow, looking oddly determined. Then, she riffled through a nearby drawer, searching her a marker. She stepped up to the whiteboard.

“That's a permanent marker, Sweetheart,” I warned her.

“Oh I know,” she smiled deviously and set to work. When she stepped away from the board four new rules were added, each rule aimed at one of my siblings:

1\. Sports played by a Cullen family member are now limited to frisbee golf, Jenga, and water polo.

2\. There shall be no yeeing nor hawing on the grounds of a Cullen residence.

3\. Due to allergies, the members of the Cullen family may only wear clothes made of a synthetic polyester blend.

4\. No insults or compliments are permitted in the Cullen household. Only statements of neutrality are allowed.

I laughed at her work. “Those are great.”

She walked into my arms and placed her forehead on my chest, “Your siblings are weird.”

I sighed, “It was my fault.” I didn’t want Bella to think my siblings did this unprovoked lest she start to worry there was real malice hidden behind the joke. “I tried to get them to agree to a few new rules with a human in the house and this was how they reacted. I should have known.”

She laughed, “You really should have.” She leaned against my side and reviewed her work with a proud smile brightening her beautiful face.

“Mmm. That reminds me,” she stepped back up to the board and scribbled down another rule. When she revealed her new rule, I rolled my eyes and kissed her hair.

5\. Edward needs to chill.


	29. And So We Wait

**E-POV**

A week after my visit to the vineyard, the Cullen family was finally ready to discuss the horrific events in a family meeting. The past few days had been a bit chaotic with my recovery, Bella’s move, and the fact that Carlisle got a little overzealous with his reunion with Esme and the two “accidentally” stayed away for four days. On a rainy Monday afternoon, we only waited on Bella, Emmett, and Alice to return home from their afternoon classes.

I spent the day at my grand piano finalizing and recording some of my songs for the first time in two long months. If it hadn’t been for Alice and Esme digging through my archives and sending snippets of old sheet music to my boss, I would have been fired by now. I had spent hours revising the music from my early days about Esme, Carlisle, and the relationships of those around me to match my current sound for which I was being paid.

The second I released the final chord of my last song of the day, secret, Korean thoughts approached me from behind, telling me I was about to be lectured or pranked. Either way, I was in trouble.

“I’m disappointed in you, Edward.” I never heard those words out of my mother’s mouth. I turned to her, appalled. Carlisle and Esme stood behind me, holding hands, thinking solely in the language I promised to never learn for my family’s privacy.

I was immediately apologetic, even though I had no idea what caused her disappointment, “I’m sorry, Esme.”

She paused for a few dramatic beats, “Do you really think you could propose and then not tell your own mother about it?”

I didn’t have to ask how she found out because the answer to that question was always Alice. Whether she saw it in a vision, or Bella told her herself, Alice knew everything that went on in this house, and my humiliating proposal was no exception.

Relieved that I had not actually disappointed my mother, I laughed. “It was a bit embarrassing. I doubt Bella took it seriously.”

I mindlessly played a few scales, reflecting on my accidental proposal. Between the disabling poison in my body and the thrill of my rescue, I was as close to a giddy drunk as a vampire could ever get. At the time, all I could think about was how Alice’s vision of my wedding would come to pass. Drunkenly, I repeated the words ‘ _I’m going to marry her_ ’. Jacob was the one to say them to her, more or less ruining any future proposal. He and I would have to have a few words on _confidentiality_.

Back in reality with my parents, I sighed, “I’m going to have to try again.”

“She still said yes,” Esme pointed out.

“A miracle.”

Carlisle held up a finger, “Or true love.”

If Esme was human, her heart would have fluttered at her husband’s words. The two were hopeless romantics, and their love put every single romance novel to shame.

Carlisle beckoned for me to follow them, and I complied. As we walked up the stairs at a human pace, Esme wrapped her arms through mine and gave it a little squeeze, “I can’t even begin to tell you how happy I am that you finally found your mate, Edward.”

I laughed, “You don’t have to. I’ve heard your every thought on the matter.”

She released one of her hands to give my arm a teasing smack, “Don’t be smart with me.”

Carlisle led me through their bedroom on the second floor into their walk-in closet. They stood on either side of the decorative, marble table in the center of the space.

With his hands formally clasped in front of him, Carlisle nodded at the table, “We wanted to give you something, Son.”

Sitting beside the decorative vase of flowers and a trinket from Paris was a little black box I had never seen before. Carefully, I opened to box to reveal a beautiful diamond ring. The center stone was a long, elegant oval, surrounded by a halo of tinier round diamonds that sparkled even in the dim light of the closet.

“I don’t know if you can remember—” Carlisle started, but I rudely interrupted, “My mother’s ring.” My whisper felt loud and heavy.

Carlisle was relieved that he didn’t have to explain this object’s significance to me, “While you were turning, I was able to sneak back into your house to grab a few precious items. I’d been holding on to that one for a while, waiting for you to find your mate.”

All I could do was stare at him like an idiot.

Esme spoke, “We thought you could use this in your next proposal to Bella.”

Carlisle took his wife’s hand, “We love her, Edward. She is a perfect addition to this family.”

I could only think of one response for this miraculous present. I pulled out my phone, connected it to the speakers in their room, and played a song. _“Married,”_ a chorus of gospel singers played from the speakers. _“Married,”_ they repeated after a beat.

I grabbed Esme’s hand and spun her into my chest, facing out, and began leading her in a six-step swing. _“I’m going to get married!”_ Lloyd Price sang out, as Esme and I danced, _“My name she’ll carry!”_ Carlisle watched, grinning ear-to-ear. I led us out of the closet and into their master bedroom to give us more room while we danced. Lloyd Price concluded, and Esme and I picked up our steps to match to a livelier Elvis song that began.

“Thank you!” I squeezed my mother’s hand. “Thank you both!”

“Of course,” Carlisle answered, for I had his wife spinning and spinning and spinning.

“You deserve this, Edward.”

I stopped twirling Esme and pulled her back to my chest, “I’m thinking Venice...”

She grinned, “Such a romantic city.”

“...the ceremony in a flower-filled gondola.”

“Any excuse to hold her all day.”

I laughed and threw her between my legs. She popped out behind me and I spun to take her hands once more. “Naturally.”

“And what of your mother?”

“My mother will be waiting with the rest of the family until Bella is ready for a reception. I’ll ask her to plan what she wants to do for that.”

Esme smiled at me, “Whatever Bella wants?”

I nodded, “Whatever Bella wants.”

Too soon, we heard Emmett’s Jeep rumble down the driveway. Carlisle excused himself to gather the other members of the family. Esme and I decided the two of us deserved one more song before joining the family downstairs.

I couldn’t help but smile at the love of my existence, already sitting at the dining room table. While she waited for the meeting to start, she munched on apple slices and scribbled talking points onto a notecard.

She was so cute.

Unable to resist her in anything, I leaned my face into hers and released a flurry of kisses. She squeaked and turned bright red—making herself more irresistible. I sat beside her, reveling in the heat from her blush still warming the air around us.

“Now,” Carlisle called us to order, “Where should we begin?”

Rosalie gave me a sticky smile, “I know _I_ would like to hear about Princess Edward being rescued.” I mirrored her smile.

Carlisle ignored Rosalie’s jibe as he often did. “Bella?”

Bella flushed at the sudden attention of seven vampires. She looked down at her notecard, but didn’t speak—this wasn’t one of her talking points. “Uh, I found Edward in the greenhouse,” she swallowed, “And I put my pants on him to save him from the, um, the sun. And, well, Jacob found us and brought us to the car.”

We moved right along. “Alice?” Carlisle asked.

My sister spoke more readily than my self-conscious girlfriend. “I couldn’t see too clearly at the vineyard, because Jacob Black was with us. Our plan was to send Wolfie Jake into the house to retrieve Edward. Jacob killed about six vampires in and around the house. He found one that smelled very strongly of Edward, and he was able to stop himself from killing him all the way and shift back.”

Bella patted my knee, “See? Jacob could change back at your scent! That’s friendship!”

I frowned at Alice’s memory of the vampire left in Jake’s wake, torn nearly to shreds, shaking in pain from venom left in his system from the werewolf bite. “Friendship,” I agreed, for my love’s sake.

Alice continued, “Of course, when he did shift back, he saw that it wasn’t Edward. Jake was able to follow this guy’s scent back into the woods and find Bella and Edward in that greenhouse.”

Jasper took his wife’s hand, “And what did you do, Darlin?”

Alice’s face twisted into a scowl, “Failed.”

We gave Alice a few beats to reign in her emotions. “I was _supposed_ to prevent anyone from leaving. Inside the house, I could see a guy with long, white hair who looked important, holding two vampire children. I let a few vampires slip past me in favor of keeping them in my sight.

“Then, this huge, shirtless guy appeared, put his arm around the other man and he was able to make all of them disappear. I tried to follow, but there was nothing to follow! No scents, no trail. It was like they could drop off the face of the planet.”

I studied the familiar faces in Alice’s memory, “That would be Aro. One of the three masters.

“I saw the shirtless man too; he was the one that got me. He must have invisibility or teleportation. The little boy was Alec—he was able to render me completely useless, his power must be forcing unconsciousness or something like that. The little girl, I’m not sure about—Aro had a difficult mind to read. I saw a few memories of the little girl torturing people, but I don’t know how.”

Esme had trouble focusing on anything other than the idea of vampire children, “And this leader is a father to these children?” She didn’t like the idea of orphaning these poor children, that—no doubt—already suffered through a cruel fate.

“I have a feeling Aro sees the twins as his favorite hounds rather than his beloved children.”

Esme’s gentle, frozen heart ached for the welfare of these strangers.

I went into more detail about my interaction with Aro in the greenhouse. “He offered me a position in his coven, if I could get Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie to join as well,” I concluded, “They would have killed Carlisle on sight, and he offered us the choice of allowing Esme live or die, as a sign of good faith.” I framed the last words with air quotes.

Carlisle put his arm around his horrified wife, oddly unperturbed at this death threat. Meanwhile, Rosalie’s eyes were black with a fiery determination that could collapse civilizations.

“Why the vineyard?” Esme inquired.

I shrugged, “A front.” I told my family what I saw while I was there. The vampires working, the strange machine, the casual way of drinking blood. “I imagine they have several like it. It could also be how they make all of their money.”

Jasper spoke up, “I believe I found the way they make their money following Marcus to Dubai. He was running a big-rig casino. They had a vampire at every table, counting cards or using other abilities to cheat to win all of the money.” He pointed at me, “And now, the prize to send their winners to a choice of luxurious vineyards around the world makes a lot of sense.”

Rose frowned at Jasper, “Wouldn’t that be a little obvious? There would be a whole paper trail linking the two fronts.”

Alice shrugged, “They might not ever have any human winners, not if their goal is cheating away all of their money.”

“Perhaps they have a way to find humans that won’t be looked for or missed and can set them up to win,” Bella added.

“A vampire casino in Dubai” Emmett repeated, awestruck. He was halfway through planning his vacation there with Rose, when reality sunk in and he recalled that he shouldn’t help a big bunch of baddies with their front.

Jasper continued, “I have to admit, Saudi Arabia is a brilliant spot for a vampire to avoid the sun inconspicuously—the woman can hide entirely under a Burka and the men can use a Kaffiya to hide their faces.”

“A vineyard and a casino,” Esme mused, “It certainly sounds like this coven prefers to live in luxury.”

“You’re telling me,” Rose grumbled, “in Italy, I found where they lived: a castle.”

Bella’s mouth fell open.

“To me, it seemed that their permanent residence was in Volterra,” she looked at Bella and elaborated, “an ancient Italian city in Tuscany.”

“To the locals, it’s simply an abandoned castle that is a bit too unstable to open up for tourists. To a smaller population, it’s haunted. Ghost hunters trespass in there all the time to spend the night, and there are hundreds of reported sightings in and around the castle. I genuinely think that this coven lives their day-to-day lives in there, and any human who spots them, think they’re ghosts.”

Emmett was planning his second vacation. “Damn, this coven knows how to live!” he smacked his hand on the table, “I wanna pretend to be a ghost and haunt the shit outta someone.”

“How did you find all of this out?” I asked.

“I found some conspiracy theory idiot who was too stupid to realize he was actually on to something and got him to take me out for dinner.”

Emmett, used to his wife using her good looks for our advantage, laughed, “Poor guy’s probably glued to his phone, waiting for you to call him back, baby.

” She shook her head, “No. I ended the date by telling him my husband would get suspicious if I stayed out too late.”

Emmett chortled and hugged his wife to his side, causing her chair to tip over, “Damn right I would!”

“Food source, income, residence,” Jasper counted on his fingers, “Looks like we have a few options for taking down this coven. Should we start with income or food source?”

A few of us agreed on food source, but Carlisle held up his hand, “Now, let’s not get too hasty. We don’t necessarily need to take down this coven.”

That released hell.

All of my siblings, myself included, stood, and questioned our father’s sanity.

“Are you kidding? They attacked us!” _“They just tried to murder Edward!”_ “Have you been paying attention at all?” _“What on Earth are you talking about?”_ “Of course we need to get rid of them!”

Carlisle let us get it all out before he began speaking, “Remember, while you kids were out gathering information, I met with Eleazar.” The vampire who could sense vampire abilities; the vampire who murdered humans for not being powerful enough vampires.

“The two of us spoke for a long time, he truly is a charming gentleman. He had no idea he could live off of animal blood and seemed enthusiastic about the idea. He wanted to consult his mate before making any big decisions. The two of them joined the coven years ago because they grew weary of the predatory lifestyle of a vampire, and said several other members of the coven felt the same way.”

“Okay…” Rosalie was skeptical, as was I. “So that’s Eleazar. What about the rest of the coven?”

“We will meet with this coven, and discuss the matters at hand. Eleazar says it will be quite simple. He will go to Aro, show Aro our conversation, and Aro will send out an invitation.”

Rosalie frowned, “Dad, Edward _just_ said Aro wants to kill you.”

Carlisle shook his head, “That was before he had all the information; when he thought we were threats.”

“We are threats!” Jasper exclaimed, “I want to threaten him!”

I sided with Jasper immediately. “Carlisle, I don’t think you understand the big picture, here,” I said. “Those three vampires are trying to create a large coven of powerful vampires so they could become strong enough to safely make a vampire presence known. They would proceed to use their powers to effectively create a world to favor vampires rather than humans. To reach this goal, they will leave piles and piles of human and unworthy vampire bodies in their wake.”

Carlisle was infuriatingly confident. “That is because they’re not aware of another way, Edward. They see dominance as the only way to live among humans, but we will show him the right path.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose with my thumb and forefinger. “Carlisle, he saw the right path in my head and still decided to kill you. He tried to kill me for not joining his side.”

“I’m sorry kids, but if Aro and Eleazar are offering a peaceful solution, we are going to take it. And that’s final.” _Keep in mind, your human mate would be the easiest casualty, Edward. You would have to risk her life or ask her to leave. Do you want to lose Isabella in order to start an unnecessary fight?_

Fuck. He got me. To keep my Bella safe by my side, I would have to believe in Carlisle’s hope for peace.

Jasper stood and slammed his hands on the table, “That is unacceptable!”

Carlisle remained seated, “Taking the lives of innocent beings in what’s unacceptable, Jasper. There has been too much bloodshed at the hands of this family, and I will not allow it anymore. Until this coven has heard our side and our way, and actively decides not to turn from this horrid plan, we will not harm them. If you do not like that, you are more than welcome to leave.”

The look in Carlisle’s eyes perfectly matched his thoughts towards Jasper: _Please don’t leave._

Alice put her hand in the crook of Jasper’s elbow and guided him back to his seat, “It will be alright, Darling. I can still see us. _Together_.”

Jasper’s teeth snapped together but accepted his wife’s vision.

“And so we wait for an invitation,” I said when the tension in the air dissipated.

Carlisle nodded, “So we wait.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why the vampire casino? I have no idea. I think it’s because I like vampires and I like heist movies, where the enemy is often a casino.
> 
> Edward and Esme are dancing to I'm Gonna Get Married by Lloyd Price


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this chapter does get a little NSFW towards the middle of the chapter. If that is not your speed, please skip to the stars. There are two little parts to this chapter
> 
> These characters and ideas all belong to Stephanie Meyer

**E-POV**

It was another day of my hiding alone in my dark room, with only my music to keep me company. Without my Daylight Amulet, I was stuck in here with the shades drawn and the skylight shut. I had spent the entire week alone while Bella was off at school, living her normal human, life I used to be able to pretend I was a part of. But no more.

I was excited to be able to spend the entire weekend with her, but Alice predicted a forecast of all sun. It would have felt awful to force Bella to spend the rare sunny days she loved so much tapped in the gloomy darkness with me, so when Alice requested a day out in downtown Seattle with Bella, I didn’t argue. Alice had a secret mission to buy my Bella all sorts of clothes, so I didn’t expect the two back until late this afternoon, possibly this evening.

It surprised me to hear the rumbling of Bella’s truck down the driveway a little after noon. Thankfully, Alice was thinking through the day’s events, most likely for my benefit. At the beginning of the day, Alice was thrilled at the prospect of an entirely new wardrobe for Bella. Alice let Bella drive so she could ultimately choose their destination, but that didn’t stop her from bouncing in her seat, listing the pros and cons of all her favorite boutiques in downtown Seattle.

She was shocked when Bella turned into Goodwill, just outside of Forks, and even more shocked when Bella opened the car door to go inside. Alice had decided to make the best of this situation because this trip was for Bella and she loved Bella. She followed in after her and began pawing through the woman’s racks to see what she could find. She already saw several things in the XS section that were decent— _“this little top would go great with my joggers—oh and this would be so cute with my sweater... “_ She turned to show her finds to Bella only to see her grab an armful of shirts and shove them in a cart that already contained a mountain of pants.

Bella was collecting an armful of dresses when Alice stepped in, “You’re going to try all of that on?”

“What’s the point? This is all my size,” Bella shrugged.

“But what if you don’t like something? You didn’t even look at anything!”

“I’m sure it’ll all look fine.”

“Bella! Seriously, look through some of this shit! For all we know you could have something like this wedged in there!” Alice pulled out a bright orange dress: long, with a lapel collar and loose short sleeves. It looked like someone tried to repurpose a prison jumpsuit. I cringed away from it in time with Alice in her memory.

Bella regarded the awful dress for just a moment. Then, she plucked it out of Alice’s hands and shoved in the cart. Alice gaped after Bella as she pushed her cart to the front counter and bought the lot for sixty dollars.

It was the funniest thing I’d ever seen. Their entire shopping trip lasted less than ten minutes.

I was still playing the piano when Bella dropped her bags at the door to our room. She looked lovely for her afternoon out with Alice: jeans, a small, green t-shirt, and one of my flannels she had commandeered for herself. The flannel was far too large on her, but she looked impossibly cute swallowed up inside of it.

“Is this about me?” Bella asked, reading the sheet music over my shoulder.

“Esme,” I answered. I was finally able to find the lyrics to capture Esme’s final memories of her human life. It wasn’t a happy song; I usually only worked on it when she wasn’t home.

Unsatisfied with that answer, Bella left me to my music. She made sure she was in my line of sight before switching out of her jeans into a pair of leggings. She went to our bed and made a little show of getting herself into a comfortable position to read. I smiled to myself. More than anything else, I loved it when Bella tried to be seductive.

I switched to a song I wrote about Emmett many years ago. Rosalie absolutely hated it, so I rarely played this one, either. It was more off-color than my usual style with lyrics that reflected Emmett’s thoughts about Rosalie. Emmett loved the silly lyrics and the heavy, erotic beat—he found the entire thing hysterical. I hoped the change in the atmosphere would encourage my sweet girl.

She let me sing a few lines, _“You see me as I am it’s true, the aimless, fake drifter, and the horny, man-child Mamma’s boy to boot.”_

“Is this about me?” Bella asked, trying and failing to hide her grimace.

I laughed at her apprehension and shook my head, “Emmett.”

She wasn’t sure what to make of that. She pretended to read for a while, possibly planning her next play.

“You know,” she started, “Alice said she and Jasper are going to sniff around the Vineyard to see if anyone went back there.”

I already knew the plan. “Did she?”

Bella nodded. “And Emmett and Rosalie are with Carlisle and Esme checking on your house in Rochester for a letter from Aro.”

I didn’t look up from the keys, “It’s lovely there this time of year.”

“So… there’s no one here in the house.”

It was so cute when she acted this awkward around me. “You’re here,” I pointed out.

“So are you.”

It felt mean to force her to seduce me when I _always_ wanted her, but I continued to play ignorant and aloof. “I am.”

She didn’t know what to do with that. I almost broke character when she angrily opened her book and flopped into the pillows, but I managed to hold in my laughter.

After I played through Emmett’s song, and another, sweeter song about Alice and Jasper, I decided she had enough.

I ghosted to the bed and wrapped my arms around her. “Mind if I join you?”

She wiggled her hips, “Not at all.”

Her lips pressed a kiss to my neck, a splash of warmth that soothed me to the bone. They continued a fiery path up to my jaw. “Edward?” she asked.

“Hmm?” I had to smile, knowing whatever she had to say would likely be interesting. When Bella was in a mood like this, it was difficult to anticipate what would come out of her mouth.

“You proposed to me.”

There was no doubt in my mind that she was upset with me over that—I really dropped the ball on that one. My smile back to her was a bit sheepish, “I’m sorry about that. I could do another one if you wish.”

She ducked her head, “I kinda liked it.”

She must love me more than I deserve. I pulled her face up for a kiss, “Then, yes. We’re engaged.”

I might have ruined the actual proposal, but I could at least make a special evening out of giving her my mother's ring. A dozen ideas ran through my mind from song lyrics, to black-out poetry in her favorite novel, to skywriting. Hell, I would rearrange the stars to spell out her name if I could.

I let her deepen the kiss, savoring her taste, her warmth. She fumbled with the hem of my shirt. I lifted it off myself, sparing her shaking hands which fell immediately to my skin, like metal to a magnet. Her hot, damp palms were electric shocks to my body. It was almost enough to start my stone heart… I already felt as though blood pulsed through my veins once more.

“You’re so beautiful,” she breathed, trailing her fingers over my pecs and then downward, tracing the crevices in my abdomen. “I still can’t believe that you want me. It doesn’t make any sense.”

“Of course it does,” I said, shaking my head even as I brought her back into my arms, “Your outer beauty is timeless and continually reinforced by the beauty of your soul.”

I felt Bella’s heated blush as she buried her face in my shoulder, “When you say things like that, it just makes it harder to believe.”

“Edward?” she squeaked again.

I repeated my answer from before. “Hmm?”

“Do you want me to become a vampire?”

This was a difficult conversation, and one I did not want to have. When I first discovered I loved her, I told myself that if Bella wanted to make the transition to a vampire, I would let her. In those early weeks of our lovely relationship, I made a secret vow to never deny her in anything. It broke my heart to tell her these next words, “Not yet.”

“Why not?” she demanded.

“I am not going to bring you into my world like this, Bella. Not while there’s a threat hanging above our heads. When I was at the vineyard dying, the thing that brought me peace was the knowledge that you would have an out, that you could get away from all of this and continue on with your life.”

Her voice shook, “What makes you think I would want to continue on without you?”

I stroked her hair from the top of her head to the tips at her waist and let my fingers rest there. “Time would heal your wounds, my love, just as it would for any other human.”

“Would you continue on without me?”

“That would never happen,” I swore, “I would never let anything happen to you.”

“Would you?” she pressed.

“It’s different for me, sweetheart. Vampires mate for life. From the moment I saw you, I had no choice but to love you for the rest of my existence. I will never want anyone but you.”

“And how do you know I don’t feel the same way about you?”

I brushed her warm cheek with my thumb and smiled at the beautiful blush that followed my touch, “You will when you turn, Bella. But now, while you’re human, you cannot feel for me as I feel for you.”

She didn’t respond, and a small warning ping in the back of my head told me my words might have offended her. “However, not a moment goes by where I am not overwhelmingly grateful for the love you have for me. Truly, I do not deserve you.”

My words did not comfort her. They say actions speak louder than words, so I hoped this action would say what I needed her to hear: that I loved her, I wanted her, and I will love her and want her always and forever. I reluctantly released her and slid off the bed.

I crafted this small pendant when I realized I loved her. It was a crucial part of my original plan, where, over the course of a few years, I slowly revealed to her what I was, and what she meant to me. In that tale, I was going to bring her to a romantic spot from which she could easily escape, and offer her three choices: I would leave her to continue on with her life without me, I would spend the rest of her human life at her side until she no longer wanted me, or she could drink the contents of vial whenever she wanted and join me.

Hanging on a delicate chain, in a tiny, silver vial, was my blood. I offered it to her, she grabbed it and examined it close to her lovely face. 

I explained its contents to her, “Bella, I do want you forever, and I do not want to stand in your way if you wish to join me. Please understand the only reason for my hesitation is the threat our family is under.” I touched the little vial, “If anything unspeakable were to happen to you as a human, there would be a way to get you back, Bella. That is why I want to wait.

“But I promised you this before and it still stands true, _you_ are in charge of this relationship. And you will choose if and when you turn.”

Her beautiful, chocolate eyes filled with tears, and I was worried that I had frightened her—or worse—upset her. But when she cried out, she wrapped her arms around me instead of pushing me away, “This is the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me!”

I considered the other things I planned for her in the past that I would classify as romantic. The midnight concerts I performed for her under the stars, the books filled with notations of everything that made me think of her, _the marriage proposal_. “I really hope it isn’t.”

She nuzzled her face into my neck, slurring her words, “Too bad!”

I chuckled and leaned in to give my weird fiancée a loving kiss, however she had other intentions. Bella moved her mouth, taking my lower lip between hers, and the sudden movement took me by surprise. Bella was here, in my arms, and kissing me so sweetly—nothing could be better than this. Fire raced through my cold veins at her touch: sparking, igniting. I shivered, feeling the delicious heat of her human body, so small and so warm. I ached for more— more warmth, more touch, more… more anything, everything. I licked her lips, feeling her tremble in my arms, and her hand wove into the hair at the back of my head.

“Edward,” she panted, her hands turning into fists. My name sounded delicious on her lips and I enjoyed the glazed look in her eyes. This innocent creature suddenly looked so wanton, so uninhabited. A wave of need more powerful than anything I’d yet experienced washed through me, and I found myself yanking off her jeans, wrenching away the panties that kept me from what I wanted so desperately.

Bella moaned sharply as I entered her. Her body welcomed me in, slick and ready and painfully hot. I fought back a growl and moved within her as slowly as I could, to keep myself from hurting her. At any rate, she was giving me every indication that she was enjoying herself. Her whimpers spurred me rapidly toward the edge. If anything, Bella was more eager than I was. Her hips lifted to meet mine with surprising force, and the slapping of our skin formed a rhythmic base for her keening melody. Her eyes fluttered closed and she took her bottom lip between her teeth. With her flushed cheeks and hair fanned out beneath her, she was the perfect incarnation of sensuality.

I loved her. I loved this perfect, human girl with all that I am, with all that I ever will be. I loved her.

***

I missed my Daylight Amulet. Carlisle discovered the witch who bestowed our rings to us the first time had passed away and was looking for descendants who might have the same gifts as their ancestor. Until we found a witch who would willingly bless a ring for me, I was trapped in the darkness, like a real vampire.

I preferred to spend my nights with Bella in bed, so I had to take advantage of cloudy afternoons like this one to hunt. Bella would be safe at school with my most formidable siblings, so I could enjoy stalking some of my favored, more difficult prey. Two mountain lions and an elk later, I found an enormous grizzly bear fishing in the water. She would be a formidable foe for my favorite brother. I fished my silent phone out of my back pocket to tell Emmett about my phone but was sidetracked by unsettling news.

I had an unread text from Alice from over two hours ago that said Bella’s last class of the day was going to be let out early and she would be returning home. I growled at my phone. That kind of news should have been a phone call! By the time I got home, Bella would have been alone for almost three hours. There was no telling the amount of trouble my accident-prone girlfriend could get herself in with three whole hours!

I could have used a little more blood, but Bella’s safety was far more important to me than my own thirst, so I ditched the bear and ran home. When I was close to the house, I picked out the unmistakable warning siren of a smoke detector.

I stopped breathing.

“BELLA!” I screamed and picked up the pace into a sprint. I had never tried to run quickly before—running came naturally to us—but I was definitely pushing my speed now.

I crashed through the back door to the kitchen, where the smoke was coming from. My Bella was hunched over next to the oven. I grabbed her before I could fully take in the situation and whisked her to safety in the backyard.

Back inside, I could now see that there was no dire emergency. A casserole dish was on the ground with tomato sauce splashed around it, turning the kitchen into an Italian crime scene. Smoke puffed out of the oven, but there were no flames. I switched off the oven: problem solved. I pressed the button on the smoke detector to cut the chirps and opened the doors and the window to let the room air out.

Bella was still blinking in surprise on a wicker chair in the yard when I appeared kneeling on the grass in front of her.

I tangled my fingers in her hair with one hand, and gently cupped her chin with the other, “Bella, sweetheart, are you alright?”

She nodded woodenly.

I looked her over. She _looked_ okay. Definitely no smell of blood. She was holding her left hand close to her chest, so that might be injured. Her pants and bare feet were splattered with tomato sauce.

I traced her perfect bottom lip with my thumb, “What happened, my love?”

She closed her eyes, “Nothing, just doing too many things at once.” She sniffed. “I was making a lasagna for dinner. No big deal; make lasagna all the time. I got sucked into my homework and forgot about the lasagna in the oven until it started smoking. I accidentally grabbed the dish with my hand to try to get it out quickly.” She held up her left hand so I could see the angry burn forming on her hand. “And dropped it all over me.”

I took her left foot in my hand, it looked larger than usual like it was beginning to swell. “It looks like you might have a burn on your foot as well.”

She ducked her head, “That’s where I dropped it.”

I kissed her forehead. “It might be best if you took a small break from cooking. You can leave it all to Esme and me.”

“Edward, this was a one-time thing.”

I caressed the beautiful face that inspired my music. So perfect, so delicate—my precious porcelain angel. “I don’t like you getting hurt.”

She pushed my hand away from her face. “You’re overreacting! I’ve been cooking for ten years, and I never hurt myself!”

“Bella, two days ago you effectively knocked yourself out while buttering a piece of toast.”

She huffed, “I _told_ you. Sometimes, I hold my face really close to the kitchen counter because I like it to be precisely buttered. I happened to _sneeze_ and hit my head on the counter.” She crossed her arms and pouted, “If anything it’s your fault for having a granite countertop instead of a respectable laminate.”

I ran my hand through my hair, “While we’re at it, there’s no reason for you to tidy or scrub, either.”

She balked, “Edward. I already live at your house rent-free. Carlisle picks up all of the groceries before I can, even though I’m the only one who actually eats. You can’t expect me to not help around the house as well. I’d be nothing more than a freeloader!”

“You are _not_ a freeloader. You are a guest, and a loved and cherished one, at that. I would feel better if you didn’t do any work at all.”

She shook her head, “I’m sorry, Edward, I cannot morally stay in a place and not give back more than I take. I have to help.”

“Sweetheart, there’s no reason for you to do any sort of housekeeping when my family can do it all fifty times more quickly and effectively than you can. After you turn, we’ll add you to the chore chart. Until then, take the opportunity to _finally_ relax. ”

My logic must have finally set in because she didn’t argue her point again.

“Why don’t you get changed while I clean up, and then we can work on making you a new dinner together?” She nodded glumly and got up from her seat.

“Can you walk?” I asked.

She pushed away my hands that instinctively went to her sides to steady her, “It’s fine. I’m fine. The burns don’t even hurt.” It was a lie and we both knew it, but I let her trudge towards the house without my assistance anyway.

Back in the kitchen once more, I mopped up the floor and scrubbed the burnt residue that dripped from the lasagna onto the bottom of the oven. I waited in the kitchen for a long time, not once breaking my attention away from the girl stumbling upstairs. When she came back downstairs, she didn’t speak, she only pulled up a lasagna recipe on my computer. She left it on the counter for me to follow, and went to the breakfast nook in the corner of the room to finish her homework.

I sighed. I was hoping to make it together, but Bella obviously wanted to be stubborn.

Once Bella’s lasagna was finished and in the oven, I popped in the seat across from her in the breakfast nook. Her feet were already stretched out in front of her on the seat, so I took the injured one in my hand to try to cool the burn that had bubbled up. I glanced down at her homework to see how much she had left to see that her handwriting was more illegible than it was before. With a flash of horror, I realized she burned her dominant hand.

“Does it hurt to write, Bella?”

“No,” she lied.

I flashed over to her side of the nook. Even though she was still annoyed at me from our talk earlier, her little body still adjusted itself so our sides were fully touching.

Gently, I coaxed the pencil out of her hand, “Why don’t you tell me the answers and I’ll write them down for you.”

She tried to grab the pencil back, but I pulled it back so it was out of her reach, “Last I checked, burns don’t cause illiteracy.”

I sighed, “Bella, please. Anything that pains you, pains _me_.” It was a low blow to use the excuse of my discomfort to guilt her into doing what I wanted.

She rested her head on my chest, defeated, “Fine.”

We spent the rest of the hour on her math homework. I wrote what she said while she manned the calculator. Twice, I hesitated. She began down the path towards the wrong answer and I was unsure if she would find me pointing out her errors as helpful or annoying. The first two I let slide because they were pretty minor mistakes. At the third, I stepped in and showed her the correct way. She made a similar mistake on the next equation, so I completed that one, too.

The events of the day must have worn her out, because, after that, she slumped against my side and silently watched me finish her work for her. I put my arm around my darling, human girlfriend, grateful that she was finally able to put aside her pride so I could properly care for her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No. Edward not wanting Bella to work or him doing her homework is not sweet or romantic--his overprotective, controlling side is rearing its ugly head.


	31. Surprise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some news. As this fic comes to a close, I will only be posting one chapter a week instead of my usual two. I want to spend some time getting ahead on the other stories I have down the pike so I can post new content as soon as this fic is finished.

**E-POV**

“Yeesh, Bella,” Emmett groaned as he sat at the kitchen island next to my girlfriend, “I’m gonna need you to sit on the other side.” He fanned his hand over his nose.

Startled and confused, Bella slowly rose from where she had been peacefully eating breakfast a second ago.

Emmett gave her a playful shove, “Faster, girl!”

Bella stumbled, but caught herself on the stool furthest away from my brother, “I just showered last night! I can’t smell that bad...”

Emmett’s face puckered with disgust, “Not that. When’s the last time you’ve had Vervain?”

She exhaled loudly, relieved. Because apparently, it was better to smell appetizing in a household of vampires than it was to smell bad. I shook my head. My Bella…

Bella gracelessly heaved herself up on the stool at the other end of the island, “I ran out a few days ago,” she admitted, an attractive blush heating her face and the room, making her scent stronger. I was already standing on the opposite side of the kitchen island, but I took two extra steps back, planning activities that we could do _outside_ this afternoon.

Emmett perked up. He pushed her abandoned plate toaster waffles closer to her, looked deep into her eyes, and whispered in his most alluring voice, “Bella, smash your face in this.” Her expression went blank. She put her hands on either side of the plate to hold it steady.

Before she could slam her head down, I pulled her off of the stool. “Goddamn it, Emmett!” I hissed. Still compelled, Bella desperately reached for the plate of waffles.

“Come on, man! We could make her do anything!” Emmett laughed. I placed Bella back on the stool and snatched away the plate. “It would be hilarious!”

I glared at Emmett while I stuffed the waffles in the garbage disposal and broke the plate. With the object of the compulsion destroyed, Bella snapped back to reality with a little head shake. Realization widened her beautiful chocolate eyes, “Emmett!” she cried out in horror.

He burst into a full-belly laugh. “Oh Bella! You should have seen your face!” His words were almost indistinguishable through his giggles, “You would have really done it!”

Bella was not amused. She reached for a banana in the bowl on the center of the counter, never taking her eyes off of Emmett. “Don’t you dare,” she warned him.

Hundreds of pranks flashed through Emmett’s mind, but he didn’t act on any of them. He settled for staring at her, eyebrows raised, deciding that her discomfort in this moment was funnier than anything he could do.

Alice appeared on the stool next to Bella. “Esme is getting Bella more Vervain now. Someone didn’t tell us she needed more until she was already out.” Alice condescendingly touched Bella’s nose with her little finger; Bella swatted Alice’s hand away. Alice continued, “Esme will be home around 5:30. But until then…” she smiled freely, “Bella, tell Edward he’s a little bitch.”

“Edward, you’re a little bitch.” As soon as the words were out of Bella’s mouth she covered it with both hands, horrified.

I rolled my eyes, “Clever, Alice.” And then to my love, “Bella, would you like to go out today to get away from these comedic geniuses? We can go to that botanical garden that’s been on your list since December.”

Alice spoke for Bella, “Sorry, Edward, but there’s going to be sun peaking in and out of the clouds all afternoon.”

I frowned.

Bella hopped up from her stool and wrapped her arms around my waist, “It’s alright, Edward. I want to go into Seattle for those good coffee grounds, and Jess and Ang would want to go with me.”

I squeezed her back, “Tonight, then? I’ll meet you in the city?”

“It’s a date.”

I let my love continue with the rest of her morning alone. After breakfast, she changed into one of the dresses that Alice despised and called up her friends to arrange their plans. As she drove away in her truck, I eyed Alice wearily.

She sighed. “Carlisle is about to get off his shift at the hospital and will stalk your girlfriend for you.”

I nodded, relieved that my family wasn’t so turned off by my horrible idea that they refused to help me. Emmett was kind enough to keep me company while I was trapped by the sun. Neither of us mentioned that it was only due to the fact that Rosalie had taken up weekend courses in hopes of graduating on time, and would be at school all day. We went down to the basement—Emmett’s self-proclaimed man cave—and played a collaborative video game where my mind reading would be advantageous for us both.

When there was only an hour left before I could meet up with Bella, Alice gasped from the sofa. I saw the vision at the same time she did: a vampire getting into Bella’s truck while she drove down a mountain road.

The controller was crushed to smithereens in my hands.

I went for the stairs, but Emmett’s massive arm wrapped across my chest, preventing me from going anywhere.

“Let go of me!” I growled.

I ducked under his arm, but his other arm swung to capture me in a more aggressive chokehold. “Dude, the sun!”

“When, Alice?” I screamed out.

Upstairs, Alice was on already the phone, “Rose? Are you still at school? Good! In thirteen minutes I’m going to need you to…”

“Goddamn It, Alice! When?!” I wailed.

 _Carlisle’s watching her, Edward!_ She screamed in her head, still describing to Rosalie exactly where she needed to stand over the phone. She showed me the vision of Carlisle safely pulling my love out of the truck’s wreckage.

“Wreckage?” I cried. My heart squeezed.

 _Yes. You need to calm down. Carlisle knows what to do for humans in a car accident. Besides,_ she flinched, _you won’t be able to be near her while she’s bleeding._

“Bleeding!?” The thought of her being hurt tore at everything that resided within me. It made me want to scream and rip out my own heart and tear every hair from my head. The love of my entire existence was out there being attacked, being hurt, and I was trapped _here_ , utterly useless.

There had to be a way for me to get to her. In the greenhouse, Bella had saved me from the sun by protecting me with her clothes. We had to have something in the house that would protect me, but wouldn’t fly off when I reached my top running speed. Alice and I watched her visions as I tried to run into the sun in various hats and other clothing I thought could protect me. Each escape ended my burning body on the side of the road. Nevertheless, I kept deciding on different angles, different plans. One of them had to let me get to my love and keep her safe. But the more I planned, the more I watched myself die.

 _“Edward!”_ Alice screeched from upstairs, _“Stop making me watch this!”_

She was sending Jasper out of the house now. “Emmett! You have to keep him down there!” Emmett planted himself in front of the stairs to prevent me from destroying myself.

When I decided on a ski mask, goggles, and Emmett’s largest jacket, I saw in Alice’s vision I made it to Bella’s truck. My heart fluttered. _Finally._ I only had to escape the basement, which wouldn’t be a problem. Emmett’s strength slowed him down significantly, he was only a threat if he managed to catch me. The second I faked left, Alice’s new vision paralyzed me: my teeth sunk into Bella’s perfect, beautiful throat.

 _EDWARD STOP!!!_ Alice cried out in her mind.

My Singer, I cursed. The monster inside of me had been silenced for so long by the Vervain in Bella’s system. I had hoped as my love grew for her, that the monster would be buried away. But it was clear by Alice’s vision that that had not been the case, he was still inside of me waiting for his edge.

After what felt like years, Carlisle’s thoughts finally came into my range. He looked down at my precious angel in his arms. Blood streaked down from her nose and little cuts dotted her porcelain face.

Carlisle recounted the events for me as he ran towards the house. Bella had dropped her friends back at their dorm and was driving back to downtown Seattle for our date. Carlisle had stopped by the school library in order to give Bella a head start. After he checked out a book in Emmett’s name, he ran down the road that Bella would take. It was there that he caught the scent of this vampire. When the vampire caught sight of Carlisle running beside Bella’s truck on the winding mountain road, he drove the truck off the side of the mountain road and dove out the door. Bella was still in the truck as it flipped over the railing and began to roll down the mountain. Carlisle ducked where the truck would first land on its side right under the window. The glass broke over his head, and he reached out to grab my Bella from under the seat. He held her close as the truck rolled past their huddled bodies and crashed past them, continuing down the mountain.

Even though Carlisle’s thoughts, the smell of Bella’s untainted blood was enough to cause my throat to explode in scorching pain, and my stomach twisted inside of me, anticipating a taste of the sweet perfection of her blood. By the time she entered the house, the hunter in me, the monster, found new life, quickly choosing which arteries would provide the most satisfying meal, while drawing out the pleasure as long as possible. My vision blurred for a split second as the scent became a flavor, an overwhelming, ecstatic taste.

“Dude what the fuck!?”Emmett cried out. I realized in my desperation, I had attacked Emmett. Thankfully, the monster was too ravenous to think rationally, and its plan was easy to thwart by my massive bear of a brother. Emmett had me on the floor, trapped in a full nelson with his knees to my back. The monster fought against the restraints.

“Do not do this, man,” Emmett tightened his grip, “That’s your girl up there.”

The sight of her lovely face broke me out of my fantasy. Bella was sitting bravely on the kitchen counter while Carlisle checked for signs of a concussion. My breathing ceased, bringing no relief, but enabling me to maintain my tenuous hold of self-control. My muscles relaxed and I flopped against Emmett’s body.

“She hadn’t taken any Vervain today,” Alice muttered to Carlisle quietly, so Bella couldn’t hear. Unlike our father, Alice _did_ need to hold her breath to be around Bella’s blood, so I opted to stay in her mind while she assisted our father.

“That would explain why she’s not moving.” The concern in Carlisle’s thoughts was professionally removed from his expression. My expression, however, was filled with rage. My angel had been compelled by that monster. Stay still, don’t move, many commands could have forced her to be like this. And I was here unable to comfort her in his no doubt terrifying moment of her life.

Alice picked the broken glass out of Bella’s hair while Carlisle continued to check for internal damage. He found none, and it felt like an enormous weight had been lifted off of me. When Alice heard Esme’s car turn onto the driveway, she left Bella’s side to prepare our mother for the sights and scents inside the house.

Esme gasped in horror when she saw my darling and pulled her in for an awkward, one-sided hug. My arms ached—not because Emmett still had them folded behind my head—but because they yearned to hold the sweet girl upstairs. When Esme realized Bella was not returning the hug, she released her immediately, worried that she somehow hurt the poor girl. Bella remained still, and Esme was certain she did something wrong. She whirled toward Carlisle for an explanation.

“She’s been compelled,” Carlisle explained, “We imagine the vampire who got to her told her not to move.”

Esme brushed Bella’s hair out of her face and kissed her temple, “My poor Flower. We will have that fixed in no time. Tea or hot chocolate, baby? It’s too late for coffee.”

“It looks like she’ll enjoy the tea more,” Alice told our mother, after looking into the future at the two choices.

Esme put the dried Vervain into a tea infuser along with Bella’s preferred pomegranate tea. She let that steep while she cleaned off Bella’s face one more time for good measure. Alice asked Carlisle to fetch Jasper from where he was hiding off in the mountains. Alice Tilted Bella head back and Esme coaxed the tea into Bella’s mouth, gently massaging her throat so it would go down.

After some time, the boys returned and the tea was gone. Jasper was the final test to be sure the traces of Bella’s blood were gone before I was allowed near her. Jasper—nervous as ever—entered the kitchen. He walked up to Bella. Through his gift, he could sense sadness from her accident and pain from the cuts. However, some of her emotions surprised him and he felt the peace and serenity radiating out of her with cautious optimism. I wondered if she was somehow able to block out Jasper’s gift as well. There was absolutely no way she should be feeling this way in her situation.

He placed a hand on her shoulder and said, “You’re stronger and braver than any of us, kid.” Love and respect were added to her unnatural mix of emotions. He left Bella and sat on the loveseat in the living room, waiting for Alice.

“Emmett,” Alice instructed.

Emmett released me and I was at my love’s side in a second. She _looked_ okay, save the few minor cuts on her face from the glass, and the tears running down her cheeks; each sweet drop a lance through my heart. I shoved my face into the crook of her neck, gushing out apologies like a geyser of self-loathing: sorry that she was hurt, sorry that I couldn’t be there to save her, sorry that I could have easily hurt herself, sorry that she had to fall in love with a monster. I inhaled deeply, revealing in my ability to do so; the Vervain had quickly taken its effect and the monster was nowhere to be seen.

I was finally able to compose myself enough to ask the most important question. As horrible as I felt, her safety—her heath—was much more important than my guilt. “Bella, baby,” My voice cracked. “Are you alright?”

A quiet whimper escaped from her unmoving lips.

“I’m so sorry, sweetheart,” I pulled her off the counter and up into my arms. “You’ll be able to move again soon,” I kissed her temple. “I promise.”

I moved us to the living room where I could put her in a more comfortable position. I cradled her against my chest and turned on her favorite baking show. I began to worry that the vampire she had encountered had an ability to allow compulsion indefinitely or he had another gift that could not be nulled with Vervain. The second I became terrified enough to voice my concerns to Carlisle, as an answer to my silent prayers, Bella’s arms wrapped around my neck.

“Finally.” Her soft touch seeped into me like a balm, filling me with so much relief that I could only whisper. “Finally.”

“My truck,” she croaked miserably.

My darling love was the victim of an attempted kidnapping from a bloodthirsty monster and she was worried about her _truck_. I shouldn’t be surprised. Her insane backwards instincts always had her worrying about the wrong things.

I tightened my grip around her, squeezing her as tightly as I dared, “I’ll get you a new one, Sweetheart.”

“I want that one,” she sobbed.

“I’ll get that one fixed.” The parts I would have to buy would probably cost four times what the truck was worth, but it didn’t matter.

“Edward?” Her little hands wove into my hair.

I pressed my forehead against hers, “Yes, my love?”

Her voice was terribly soft. “I’m alright.” Her words were like music used to soothe the savage beast.

The next tasks were to regroup and to make sure Bella felt as safe and comfortable as possible. Wrapped in three blankets, she curled into my side and nibbled on the grilled cheese Alice had made for her. Rosalie would be home at any moment now. Alice had sent Rosalie to the site of the accident to cut off Bella’s kidnapper. Alice saw the shirtless vampire appear and disappear with the kidnapper and called Rose to tell her any search was futile, but Rosalie was not having it. The last time Alice checked on a Rosalie, she was still sniffing around in the woods. Emmett hovered near the backdoor, nervous for the safety of his wife alone in the woods, but Alice and Jasper both assured him that she would be alright and she was simply being stubborn.

Esme and Carlisle sat on the other side of the couch, pretending to watch bakers make sculptures out of bread on the TV, but actually watching Bella out of the corner of their eyes. Carlisle was searching for signs that Bella was going into shock, but I knew they would never come. My Bella handled these things with a coolness that was as impressive as it was concerning.

She was in the center of Jasper’s attention, as well. He was searching for the strategy from the other coven, hoping that if he stared at Bella long enough, he could make out the reasoning behind kidnapping a human girl.

A vision of Rosalie giving up on her search appeared in Alice’s mind, and moments later, Rosalie’s familiar mental voice entered my range.

“He’s gone,” Rosalie growled. Emmett took his wife in for a big hug, and let her hide her anger and disappointment in his chest. Rosalie _hated_ to fail.

“I already _told_ you that,” Alice said in a sing-song voice from the loveseat. Emmett gave Alice the same exasperated look I usually gave him. If there was one thing Rosie hated more than failing, it was someone telling her she was going to fail.

Now that the family had returned, I decided we could discuss the elephant in the room. “Well,” I hissed at Carlisle, “Are we still going to wait on that invitation?”

Carlisle had the decency to look ashamed, “I am so terribly sorry, Bella. I did not think they would attack again without any conversation.”

“It’s okay, Carlisle,” she said from my side.

“No! It is not okay!” I seethed. “Do you have any idea how lucky we are that their only goal was to kidnap you?!” My heart squeezed. I thanked every deity I could name that this coven did not aim to kill Bella because if they did, they would have succeeded this afternoon. Gingerly, I pulled her chin up so she was looking at me, “Do you understand that? They could have taken you from me!” _Forever_.

With both hands, she pushed mine away from her face, “But they didn’t! Because I have a family to protect me! Carlisle, there is nothing to forgive. You only do what you think is best for us.”

I growled, furious that my girlfriend refused to comprehend the severity of the danger she was in this afternoon.

“Why not just kill her?” Rosalie asked. Jasper was already shaking his head before she even finished the question.

“They won’t kill Edward’s mate,” Jasper explained, “They want Edward fighting on their side. He’d be useless to everybody if she were dead.”

Rose understood. “They want Bella as leverage.”

“Leverage?” Bella squeaked.

I kissed her temple, “If anyone were to take you from me, I would do anything, risk _everything_ to get you back. And they know that.”

She swallowed loudly.

“Does this mean we will actually go after their food source?” Jasper asked the room, “Because I have a few plans that would—”

“Fuck!” Alice exclaimed and ran out the back door. Jasper, knowing his wife and her tendencies, flew after her. The rest of my family looked quizzically at me for an explanation.

“Go with them,” I nodded to Carlisle. He disappeared into the tree line.

It seemed that Bella was not the only one on our rival coven’s hit-list this afternoon. I internally kicked myself for not realizing Aro would have seen our cousins when he violated my mind. Rushing through the forest to get to our house for back up were the Denali girls: Irina, Kate, and Tanya.

Irina was the oldest of the three girls. She was much like Carlisle in her peaceful nature. She might actually be the first vampire to ever switch to a diet of animal blood. She was turned in Ancient Greece, and her high moral standards caused her to flee deep into the wilderness. More embarrassed of her new form than anything else, she stayed far from humans, feeding on animals and living like a pariah for centuries.

Irina found Kate in 1589 in the Philippines near Capiz. We all joke that Kate herself was the inspiration behind the vampiric aswang in the Filipino culture— blood-sucking creatures that disguise themselves in the shape of beautiful women. Kate was turned by a vampire man and lived with a small coven for a few years, but missed her human life more than the others. She left the coven and began to infiltrate into the human community by marrying human men. She would sneak out at night to raid other villages to keep her cover. Irina and Kate met and discovered an instant bond. Kate adored the concept of feeding from animals while Irina loved the idea of living among humans. The two then traveled together and lived through these means.

Tanya was the youngest one in our coven in both human years and vampire years. At the young age of eighteen, she was turned at Woodstock. She thinks she was there with a member of one of the bands, but she couldn't remember on account that our human memories fade. That, and all the drugs she was on. Irina and Kate found sweet, defenseless Tanya wandering in the woods in Upstate New York and took her under their wings. Tanya complied with their lifestyle easily—she was a vegetarian in her human life, and gosh darn it, she would be a vegetarian in her vampire life as well.

Kate burst through the back door, faster than her sisters. She started to speak but stopped. Nostrils flailed and muscles tensed, she used each of her enhanced senses to comb the area. I know what startled her: the smell of Vervain-infused blood and the gentle beat of a human heart in a vampire-exclusive household. Kate’s eyes searched for the source. Then, she spotted her, almost hidden in her burrow of blankets beside me.

“Oh, Edward,” Kate sighed, dropping her tense posture, “You didn’t.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Real talk, I have never seen nor read Breaking Dawn past the honeymoon. I have a vague idea about what happens from what others have said about it and that’s it. With that being said, I have no clue what the Denali Coven’s backstory is. None. Sure, I could look it up and find out. But that would be admitting Breaking Dawn was real, which I refuse to do.   
> I am truly sorry if you love the Denali sisters and I unintentionally butchered their backstories. I didn’t mean to.


	32. The Denali Sisters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These characters and ideas all belong to SM

**B-POV**

Edward rose from my side—quicker than he typically moved for my sake—causing me to flop over onto the cushions of the couch. When I looked up to comment on his abnormal rudeness, I noticed the new center of his focus.

She was Filipino, with long, black hair and smooth skin a glistening shade of copper. She was small compared to the Cullens, save Alice, but the way she held herself told me she was more deadly than any of them. Along with her height, her round, dark eyes give her faux innocence, but their color--pitch black--said there was nothing innocent about her.

I swallowed loudly, unsure if Edward could emotionally handle two vampire attacks in one day. I trusted him entirely to keep me safe from this new attacker, but I still had the tiny vial of his blood hanging from my neck in case of an emergency.

“Kate?!” The remaining Cullens gasped in unison. Esme flew to this stranger’s side and wrapped her in a welcoming hug. Rosalie joined in and Emmett picked the three girls up in one of his infamous bear hugs.

“Is she mad?” Edward asked the newcomer the moment she was released.

Kate groaned, clearly irritated at Edward though I wasn’t sure why. She looked pointedly at me, giving me my answer. I flinched back under her black stare. “I don’t know how she’ll handle this.”

Edward pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, “Ugh, she always has to make things difficult.”

Kate placed her hands on her hips, “Oh, I don’t think Tanya was the one making things difficult,” her eyes flickered back to me, “Not this time.”

“I’ll go talk to her,” Edward started towards the door.

Alice stopped him, appearing in the front door with Jasper’s looming figure immediately behind her. “It’s alright!” She announced, both palms raised. “It was my bad! I misread the situation.”

Behind her, a vampire walked in who was the epitome of tall, dark and handsome. On his arm was a small, darker vampire with deadly eyes that made her no less lovely. Their eyes were their most striking feature--closer to orange than the haunting red or the honey gold I was used to on vampires.

Carlisle stepped around the pair and clapped the male on the shoulder, “Family, this is Eleazar and his lovely wife, Carmen.”

Alice replaced Edward next to me on the couch, putting her small arm around me. I returned the gesture and snuggled up to her. My eyes never left Edward, nervously glancing at the front door, like he was waiting for someone else to arrive.

Eleazar clasped his hands together and took in the room, “Wow, this is such an honor. We have been watching your coven for some time now, it’s incredible to finally meet such a talented, unique group.” None of the Cullen siblings looked like they would refer to this situation as incredible. In fact, they all looked skeptical, nervous, or--in Edward’s case--furious.

Before anyone else could speak, two more female vampires appeared in the living room, this time from the kitchen. “Sorry, all!” The first female was the Bella Swan of the vampire community: brown hair, unremarkable features, a curveless, boyish figure. She pulled it off better than I did. “Tanya and I crossed paths with a couple of bears we just couldn’t resist.”

“Hey! I was saving those!” Emmett teased.

Her companion responded with a charming, little smirk so beautiful it almost stopped my heart. “Shoulda wrote your name on it, sucker.” If the Filipino vampire was beautiful, this vampire was a goddess. Her strawberry blonde hair curled elegantly down her back. If her sharp jawline, alluring eyes, and full lips didn’t have everyone in a mile’s radius drooling, her body would do the trick. Her petite form had all of the perfect curves in the perfect places, and she emphasized these curves with leggings and a tight tank top.

The brunette vampire gestured towards Eleazar and Carmen in the middle of the room, “It appears you all have been getting into trouble without us,” The statement was aimed at Carlisle.

“Irina, Tanya, Kate,” Carlisle looked at each one individually when he called their names, making it easier for me to figure out what was going on. “I am so sorry for the scare. We were hoping to have this settled before you all had to get involved.”

The strikingly beautiful one named Tanya took a large side step closer to Edward while he simultaneously took a step in the same direction to avoid her.

“Tell me why we shouldn’t tear these two to shreds,” Edward sneered, “There is no longer hope for peace, Carlisle.”

Eleazar held up his hands, a gesture of innocence, “There is still a chance we could end this with a simple conversation with Aro’s coven.”

The gesture only seemed to fan the flame, “Why bother? _Your_ coven attacked one of our own today and you let it happen!”

Eleazar’s face fell, his wife touched his bicep encouragingly, “Yes, I know. I deeply apologize for that. I knew Aro was planning to kidnap a human today. I recalled Carlisle’s description of the lifestyle of the charming ladies up in Denali.”

Denali—that word sounded familiar. I remembered Carlisle once mentioned there was a coven of vegetarian vampires in Denali that the Cullens referred to as their cousins. That’s who these lovely vampires were. I also remembered that Carlisle mentioned Edward lived alone with them for a brief period. I watched as Tanya and Edward performed their little side steps again with a furrowed brow.

“I wrongly assumed it would be one of their human lovers.” Eleazar’s wife glanced at me while his focus stayed politely on Carlisle, “I did not realize both covens participated in such…” he searched for the word, “behaviors. I went up to Denali to warn them of the plan when I should have come here. I fully intend to take the blame for my mistake. We all can’t have mind readers and psychics at our disposal.” He grinned at Edward; Edward did not return the gesture.

“I am sorry, truly,” Eleazar said to Edward, “My wife and I did come to help. Surely, your gifts allow you to see that. And we still hope to do so.”

Carlisle walked up and touched their shoulders. He looked like a holy priest forgiving their sins, which, I supposed, he was doing in a way. “You are forgiven entirely. Your help is most welcome.”

“Ah, Carlisle,” Eleazar smiled, “Your kindness is refreshing. It is a travesty our paths did not cross earlier.”

Edward’s beautiful face scrunched up into an expression I easily recognized as his ‘thinking face’. I was sure he was honed in on Eleazar, making sure the intentions of this vampire were true. Tanya was able to take advantage of Edward’s concentration and take the extra step she needed in order to loop her arm through Edward’s.

His focus broke, and he removed his arm from hers. “Tanya,” he disapproved, “I told you I was with someone now.”

She laughed but rolled her eyes, already used to Edward’s quirks. “I know, Edward. You sent me a thirteen-page poem about it. Everyone in your family has talked to me about Edward’s little human.” She tried to link her arm with his again, but he swiftly dodged it, “It’s fine, I don’t care. I was with a human just last week.”

“No,” Edward shook his head, “It’s not like that. You missed the entire point.”

Suddenly, Edward was behind me on the couch and gently pulled me onto his lap, “Irina, Tanya, Kate. This is Bella Swan, my _mate_.” I blushed at the pride in his voice, completely embarrassed, knowing there was nothing to be proud of. On my best day I would be considered hideous compared to these gorgeous vampires. After my car accident today, I looked closer to a piece of roadkill than anyone’s mate.

Irina walked around the couch and was genuinely surprised to see me there, “Is that what that smell was? Oh, Edward! She’s absolutely adorable!” Irina clasped her hands under her chin in awe while, beside her, Tanya’s mouth hung wide open. Kate was motionless, gauging her sisters’ reactions.

“Shall we discuss the plans of our old masters with Carlisle, darling?” Carmen asked, cautiously eying the mixed emotions of Edward’s cousins, “Perhaps with a bit more privacy?”

“Of course! We can go to my study if you wish.” Carlisle gestured at Jasper for him to follow. “If you don’t mind I’d like to have my son listening in as well. Jasper participated in the vampire wars and his strategic mind is unparalleled.” Carmen and Eleazar followed Carlisle, Esme, Jasper, and Irina up the stairs. Esme glanced back with a small frown at the scene she left behind in the living room.

Behind me, Edward’s teeth snapped together and he audibly growled. “I love her, Tanya. End of story.”

She laughed, the sound high and light like wind chimes, “Is it really love? Are you sure you’re not just hungry?”

“I’m not surprised you feel that way. Jealous?” He asked, petulantly. I wished I could squirm away out of the center of attention, but Edward’s steely grasp held me tight to his side.

“No. I pity you,” she laughed again, “You’re going to have to love the pitiful, little thing for the rest of your life. That _sucks_.”

“Tanya…” Kate warned, but Tanya continued, “And it’s only going to get old and ugly and more pathetic with time, and you are still going to be stuck loving it. And the saddest part is that you are going to _think_ you’re happy, when in fact, you’re actually trapped in a blind lovesickness that you had no say in.”

Edward stood up from the couch, standing between me and Tanya as if his body could shield me from her words. “I am happier than I have ever been in my entire goddamn life!”

“Oh, are you? That’s not what I hear from your mother, who’s worried you’ve been slipping into insanity trying to keep it from accidentally killing itself. Or your sister, who can see that you would actually risk your life for it. Or your brother, who says that you’re torturing yourself by resisting what you actually want most from it.”

Edward growled, “Tanya, I swear to god…”

She smiled, truly pleased with herself, “Being with me was an active _choice_. Just sayin’.”

“Edward?” it was the first time I spoke since the appearance of this new coven, and my voice was hoarse, “What does she mean?”

Rosalie gasped from across the room, “Edward! You didn’t tell her?”

Edward’s brow furrowed, “Was I supposed to?”

Every female in the room groaned in unison.

“Tell me what?” I demanded.

Tanya covered her mouth to stop an attractive giggle, “Oh, Edward, this is incredible.”

He glared at her, “Tanya, you stay out of this.” Edward sat beside me again, but I scooted away from him, towards Alice. “Bella, sweetheart, I am so sorry you had to find out this way…”

Tanya interrupted him, “Your mate and I have been sleeping together for as long as you’ve been alive.”

I stared at Edward in horror, waiting for him to deny it, to tell me it was a lie.

“Bella, I swear to god, it never happened while I was with you,” his eyes were sorrowful and utterly sincere, but his promise didn’t soothe the ache in my heart. He took both of my hands in his, but I pulled them out and held them safely against my chest. “Bella, _please_. I am so sorry.” He sounded so desperate.

“She doesn’t want to hear it, Edward,” Rosalie pulled him up from the couch by his hair, “Out!” She pushed him towards the back door. He gave me one more meaningful look before he listened to his sister and dashed out the door.

Kate followed Rosalie’s lead. She took her sister by the arm, “Tanya, why don’t you show me where you and Irina saw those bears. I could use a bite to eat.” Tanya saw through the ruse but followed after her sister without further argument.

Rosalie began pacing back and forth, muttering angrily under her breath.

Alice slowly rose from beside me and helped me stand. “Let’s go upstairs, it’s been a long day. We can have a slumber party tonight.” When Edward was away, there were some nights where I missed his cool presence to such a painful degree, Alice agreed to stay the night with me. We referred to them as ‘slumber parties’ in an effort to make them sound a little less pathetic.

“Rose?” I asked. “Want to have a slumber party?” “Of course!” she turned to her husband still sitting awkwardly in one of the grand wingback chairs, “Emmett, why don’t you… um.”

“Emmett can come,” I whispered. I always felt comforted by Emmett’s presence.

He pumped his fist into the air, “Hell yeah! Girl time!”

Rosalie, Alice, and Emmett waited patiently in my room for me to get ready for bed. When I was showered and dressed, I crawled into the massive queen bed. Alice immediately joined me, snuggled into the pillows, while Rosalie opted to sit cross-legged at the foot of the bed.

“Bella?” Alice asked when I was settled. “Please don’t be too mad at Edward.”

“No, I’m not mad,” Of course Edward had an ex-girlfriend, it didn’t surprise me in the least. He was handsome, charming, kind, intelligent… I could go on all night without even scratching the surface. It made perfect sense that Edward had a romantic past. What actually surprised me was how I never thought about it before and the fact that there was only one.

Rose was flabbergasted. “You’re not?!”

“No.” Rosalie looked disappointed with that response like she was only up here because she was expecting a group Edward roasting session.

Alice wasn’t disappointed by my response, but she didn’t understand it either, “Then what’s wrong?”

I was embarrassed to say this out loud, especially in front of my perfect boyfriend’s perfect siblings. “I never thought about it like that before.”

“Thought about what?”

A small tear trailed down my cheek, “That Edward’s forced to love me.”

“Bella!” Alice gasped, “That’s not true!”

“Tanya has always been skeptical about the idea of mating. It has nothing to do with you and Edward. Edward in no way feels _forced_ to be in love with you,” Rosalie promised.

“He even said so himself! He said he had no other choice but to be in love with me. He’s trapped with me,” I looked down in shame. In the back of my mind, I always knew it was insane for someone as perfect as Edward to fall in love with me. His constant praises and declarations of love assured me that his affection was true, even if it was absurd. Because of that, I never looked too deeply into the ‘how’ or ‘why’ of his love; I instead focused on feeling grateful that it was happening at all. Now, Tanya had opened my eyes to the true facts of Edward’s devotion. He never actually got a say in the matter. From the moment our eyes met back in August, some sort of vampire magic messed with his heart and cursed him with love for me--his pathetic, miserable, lifelong, _human_ mate.

“Bella. Rosalie and I are mated with Emmett and Jasper. In absolutely no way does our love feel forced. It feels powerful… pure… phenomenal… but never forced.”

I shook my head, “It’s different.”

“Different how?”

“You’re all perfect vampires mated with other perfect vampires. There’s no way for you to bring each other down.” Rosalie and Alice gave each other a look, presumably thinking that I had hit the nail on the head and there was no way for them to talk their way out of this one.

Emmett spoke up for his wife and sister, sitting at Edward’s drum set in the corner of the room, “Believe me, Bella. Your presence has in no way affected Edward negatively. The kid has never been happier.”

I glared at Emmett, “When’s the last time you and Edward went away to hunt big game?”

“When he got back from the vineyard,” Emmett answered automatically, unaware of where I was headed with this.

“And did Edward get the chance to feed?”

“No, he had to get back to the house to--” he stopped himself, realizing where that sentence was headed.

“He had to get back to the house to be with me,” I finished for him, “And before that? When did you go?”

“It had been a while,” Emmett admitted, “Edward now prefers to stay in the woods near the house. But a lot has happened...”

“Was it before he was with me?” I pressed. “Yes,” Emmett admitted.

“See? Edward stopped doing something he loved because of me. Because he is trapped in a romantic relationship with a life ruiner.”

Alice shook her head, “Bella, he chooses to do that because he wants to spend time with you.”

“I even ruined his music!” I cried, “He had to go back to rework songs he had written about all of you because his boss probably thought every song about me was hot garbage.”

“Did he actually say that to you?” Alice asked, doubtfully.

“No. But it wasn’t hard to connect all the dots.” I weighed my hands in the airs, “One day there were songs about me and almost overnight there were none.”

Rosalie frowned, “Bella, you’re reaching with that one. If you asked him about it, he would give you a soppy, long-winded answer about musicians and muses and what ‘calls to his heart’ or whatever. Nothing to do with you.” She was certain.

“Fine, I’ll give you that,” I had plenty of back-up points to choose from, “What about the fact that he feels the need to take care of me? He feels forced to do all of the cooking and the cleaning because I’ll knock myself out again.”

Emmett shook with silent laughter, “I wish you were conscious to see the look on his face when he saw you on the kitchen floor that day,” his chuckle became more pronounced, “Shrieked like a little girl.”

“Thank you, Emmett,” I tilted my head in his direction, “my point exactly. He wouldn’t have to shriek like a little girl if he wasn’t forced to love me.”

Rosalie scoffed, “Edward acts like that because he’s an overprotective maniac. Look, all I’m hearing is that you see Edward’s flaws, but you twist them up in that little mind of yours until they become your flaws.” She clapped her hands between each word like she was talking to a toddler, “Edward is not perfect.”

“Yes, he is,” I muttered, like a petulant child.

Rosalie crossed her arms, “No. He’s not. None of us are! I mean, look at me! I’m… I have… I can’t,” she looked at her husband for assistance, “Em?”

Emmett was twisting a drumstick in one of his hands, and at first, it seemed like he didn’t appear to hear his wife. After a moment, he responded without looking away from his trick. “You have the tendency to immediately assume anything said by a man is wrong.”

“No, I don’t.”

Alice offered up the next suggestion, “You’re obsessed with being the best.”

Rosalie tapped her fingers on her knee as she considered that, “Yeah, but I don’t really see that as a flaw.”

“You never learned how to ride a bike.”

“Yes, Emmett! You’re so right!” she smiled brightly at me, “I never learned how to ride a bike! Now, I want you to name one of Edward’s flaws.”

It was easier to think of one than I expected. “His presents are annoying.”

“No… That has the capability of being twisted into a compliment,” Rose considered, “What about how socially awkward he is?”

I thought back to the early days of our friendship, and the mannerisms that drew me to him: his soft singing in public settings, his flustered expression when he said the wrong thing in a conversation, his inability to discern my expressions. “No,” I smiled shyly, “I think that’s really cute.”

Rosalie looked like she was about to say something, but thought better of it. It was no secret that Rose and Edward weren’t the best of friends, I figured she was trying to tone down some of her harsher feelings towards Edward for my benefit. To save us both from that, I offered up another suggestion of a trait that could be considered annoying, but I secretly found silly and charming, “He can be overdramatic.”

“Yes! Bella, that’s exactly right!” Rose exclaimed, her tone and mannerisms like she was praising a classroom of kindergarteners, “Edward can be overdramatic.”

I recalled my first private conversation with Edward, in a practice room at school beside a piano, “Did you guys know that at one point he told me that he toned down his emotions for the sake of his family?”

A choking sound came from the corner of the room, “This is him toning it down!?” Emmett exclaimed.

I smiled, “I’m afraid so.”

“Dear Lord.”

Rosalie placed her hand on my foot, then my calf, and then settled when she finally found my knee, “So you see Bella, anytime you start to feel bad around us, just remember how Edward is overdramatic, or I can’t ride a bike. And that’s not even getting into the difficulties of vampirism each and every one of experience every day. None of us are perfect, and none of us expect you to be, either.”

I agreed, not because I saw the merit in Rosalie’s point, but because I could see her calm facade beginning to falter, and I was afraid she would start yelling at me if I didn’t.

“Now Bella,” Rose instructed, “I want you to revisit the events of the evening, and instead of the main takeaway being ‘Edward is forced to love me,’ I want you to see the truth, which is: ‘Edward was too stupid to realize he had to tell his girlfriend about his fuckbuddy of past twenty-odd years’.”

I guessed I could try to look at it Rose’s way, but nothing really seemed like Edward’s fault to me. It wasn’t his fault that he couldn’t go into the sun to rescue me from an attack; it was my fault for being the family’s vulnerable weakness. It also wasn’t his fault that he couldn’t assist me with my injuries; it was my fault for not taking the Vervain. And it absolutely was not his fault that he didn’t tell me about Tanya; it was mine because I didn’t want to dive into the embarrassment that was my romantic history and we never talked about it. The more I thought about it, the more it seemed that I was at fault for absolutely everything that went wrong today.

“Can Edward come back in now?” I asked, missing the protection of his arms.

“Is that what you want?” Rose confirmed.

I nodded into the pillows.

“I’ll find him,” Alice offered.

The three Cullen siblings left the room after saying quiet words of affirmation. The cold presence in the bed was replaced in less than five minutes. Edward took me in his arms, just as I wanted, whispering an endless stream of apologies into my hair. It seemed apologizing for things that weren’t his fault was the only thing he did today. I tucked myself closer to him, reminding myself to not focus on why he was here with me, but to be grateful that he was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No. I do not think Bella has the correct mindset. Our sweet little Bella has a lot of self-love to work on and the Cullens are trying to help her. She’s just a lil stubborn, we’re working on it.


	33. Wolves V. Vamps

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, okay. I have two more little chapters of laying down some groundwork and having a little fun, and then we will get to the peak of the plot. 
> 
> You know our girl SM owns these characters and ideas

**B-POV**

Jasper sighed loudly into the night, “Are we sure it’s a good idea to do this now?”

Alice was beside her husband on the ground, contorting herself in intricate stretches that couldn’t possibly be beneficial for anything. “One, Jacob said this was the only night this would work for the wolves.” She switched poses, “Two, Carlisle and Esme are with that other couple talking to one of their allies so there’s really nothing we can do here aside from being sitting ducks, which we can do from anywhere.” Her final pose was a handstand, and she used her left foot to lightly kick Jasper in the chest, “Three, I said tonight would be a good time to do this, and you should know by now that I am always right.”

On her hands, Alice tucked her knees into her chest and flipped herself over so she was right-side up. “I can only see up through the next three minutes, so the wolves should be here soon.”

Alice, Jasper, and I waited in a large, open clearing in the mountains for the participants of tonight’s games. Alice being Alice went absolutely overboard with everything. Over the course of the afternoon, I watched as she and Jasper built the iconic Olympic podium, arranged a huge fire pit in the center of the field, and spaced tiki torches evenly along the perimeter of the treeline. She even created several metals, number signs for me to hold up, and scoring sheets. I was slightly miffed that she didn’t think to build a little judge’s booth for me, but also relieved that she didn’t. I settled on one of the Cullen’s comfortable lounge chairs and preferred it that way.

Emmett and Rosalie made it to the clearing, closely followed by the Denali sisters. I shrunk down in my chair, hoping to keep myself hidden from their attention. After our first awkward encounter, things with the Cullen’s cousins hadn’t gotten much better, but it also hadn’t gotten worse. Irina warmed up to me immediately, and Kate quickly followed, but the way they awed and cooed at my blushes and sneezes and yawns made me feel like the Cullen’s pet cat rather than Edward’s girlfriend. I assumed that they were trying their best, so I didn’t bring the matter up to Edward. Tanya was surprisingly pleasant. She didn’t coo and she didn’t verbally abuse me again. For the most part, we stayed out of each other’s way. But she would greet me warmly like any other Cullen and was kind when she had to address me directly.

The four ladies and Emmett were sporting matching outfits: thin, black tank tops, red booty shorts with “Bloodsucker” written across the butt, and long socks. I imagined the ladies chose this ensemble to throw off their competition with their looks. Emmett either lost a bet or simply thought the look would be hilarious; I could never tell with him.

Emmett spun a basketball on his finger, “I can’t wait to play basketball with them. It’s going to be just like AirBud.”

I frowned, “They’re going to be in their human forms, Em.”

“That’s dumb as shit! We might as well be playing ball with some normal, skimpy humans.”

I knew the Cullens would feel that way, “I think you’re going to be pleasantly surprised.”

As if on cue, a large, familiar figure emerged from the trees.

“Jacob!” I got up from my lawn chair so quickly, that I stepped on my blanket and tumbled to the ground. Jacob helped me up and immediately pulled me into a hug. It didn’t feel close enough, so I jumped into his arms as well, “I’ve missed you so much!” I squeezed his neck.

“I’ve missed you too, Bells.” I released his neck and let him support all of my weight, which I knew he could manage with his werewolf strength. I gave his arm a little slap. “Where have you been? I haven’t seen you at school at all! I was worried sick. I’m sure Angela is too!”

His face softened into a sheepish grin, “I know, I know. I didn’t mean to scare you, but I’m banned from you, remember? Billy has Sam babysitting me all the time now. He calls it Alpha-Beta bonding time,” Jacob rolled his eyes. “Sam comes to all my classes with me now to make sure I stay focused.” He set me down on my feet.

The other wolves followed out soon after wearing standard gym clothes. They wearily eyed Alice who looked like Workout Barbie in her vintage Juicy Couture Tracksuit.

“Lose a bet, man?” Quil asked Emmett, regarding his outfit.

“I actually lost thirty-four bets to get to this point,” Emmett grinned, “Absolutely worth it.”

I greeted the wolves as they walked by, but they were too busy sizing up their competition to strike any conversation with me. Only Paul lingered closely to where I stood.

“Paul, I would gut you like a fish.” Edward’s presence appeared beside me. I felt his cool lips on my forehead and a warm drink in my hand. “Here you go, sweetheart.”

I twisted the familiar cup in my hand, “Wow, I thought Starbucks closed at nine.”

“It’s open twenty-four seven.”

I thought that over for a moment, “No it isn’t.”

“The one at SeaTac is.”

He was pouncing onto Emmett’s back before I could yell out his name. “Edward!”

I shook my head after him, touched and irritated that we went all the way to Seattle’s airport to simply bring me a cup of coffee. I settled back into my chair and Jake sat beside me on the grass. We watched the tentative greetings between Jake’s pack and my family. Emmett took a liking to Seth right away and immediately pulled him in for a noogie. Alice flitted to Leah’s side and presumably complemented her clothes or her eyebrows, as she often did when she met a new girl. Embry, Quil, and Jared could not take their eyes off of the Denali sisters, who took notice and salaciously sauntered towards them.

I eventually noticed the pack was down a member. The most important member, in fact. “Where’s Sam?”

“Home. With Emily. It’s their Anniversary tonight.”

“Oh no! If it’s his Anniversary we should have picked another night…”

“No, Bells. We picked this night because it was his Anniversary. You see?”

“No, I don’t.”

Jacob sat up on his knees. He placed his forearms on the arm of my chair and leaned close to my face, “You have to start reading the news more to instill a proper distrust of humanity in you, Bells. You’re too naive.”

I was miffed, “No I’m not.”

“Yes you are Bella, you immediately see the good in everyone else, and refuse to see anything else. Case in point, your boyfriend _and_ your best friend are monsters.” “

Yeah, but you’re nice ones!”

“See? Edward makes you laugh one time or you see my pretty face and you forget all of the important things.”

I narrowed my eyes at him, “What are you getting at?”

“Haven’t you noticed how cold and distant Sam gets when you’re around? Our Alpha _hates_ the Cullens, so he also hates you.”

“He always says ‘hi’ to me.”

“Yeah, and then immediately leaves the vicinity.”

I hadn’t noticed it before, but thinking back, Jacob was absolutely right, “Oh,” was all I could think of to say.

“He’s not going to let us fraternize with vampires any more than Billy or the other elders would. Sam lives and dies by the words of the Elders as the Alpha, and won’t question how insane it is. He refuses to look at the Cullens in a different light, no matter how I try to get him to understand. The rest of the pack gets it, but it doesn’t matter until he does.”

“Why?”

Jacob pursed his lips, “He’s our Alpha, Bells. We gotta do what he says. Even if it goes against the Treaty.”

Throughout the weeks Edward was away, Jacob and I spent a lot of time on werewolf policies and politics. Jacob thought it was stupid, but it was going to be my world someday too, and I wanted to be well informed! The Cullens and the wolf pack apparently met back in the Thirties and signed a peace treaty: the wolves would not attack the Cullens and would keep their secret, and the Cullens would stay off Quileute land and not feed on human blood. The treaty had held up for all of these years, up until now. I brought my hands up to my mouth in horror, thinking of the outcome of the broken Treaty.

Jacob touched my elbow lightly, “Don’t worry, it won’t come to that. The Elders know it’s better for the tribe to keep the Treaty intact.”

I looked over at our two groups. Jared, Embry, and Quil were chatting up the Denali sisters now. Emmett and Jasper had roped Seth onto their side to take down Edward in an impromptu wrestling match. Leah, Rose, and Alice looked on at the boys with disdain, but a light smile hinted at their lips.

“It’s so crazy to me because you’re all not that different. I feel like supernatural creatures should just all be best friends with other supernatural creatures for, like, solidarity, ya know?”

Jacob sighed heavily, “We’re told we’re supposed to be enemies. And I believed it. You saw all that. But, after hanging out with you and hearing how chill they are, and hanging out with Eddie and Alice and seeing for myself how much they care for you, I saw that they’re just normal dudes who stumbled into a bad situation. They didn’t want to be vampires any more than I wanted to be a werewolf.”

“Oh, Jake…”

He squeezed my ankle and shook it lightly, “Don’t feel bad, what’s done is done. I tried to bring this up to the Council, you know, see if we could lighten up on the Treaty, or break it altogether. The Cullens weren’t going to do anything bad to the tribe, and the Treaty just implies a threat that’s not actually there. But I was rejected outright.”

“That’s really sweet, Jacob. You are such a good guy. Really.”

He smiled, “Thanks, Bells. But I’m not the only one,” he gestured broadly at the scene in front of us, “The rest of the pack seemed to agree, as well.”

“We’ll get the rest of them to see the light as well, Jake. Even Billy.” I smiled brightly, but Jacob didn’t return the expression.

Instead, he sat back down on the grass and watched over his pack once again. “Speaking of Billy,” I whispered quietly, “How’s Charlie?”

Jacob’s shoulders slumped ever so slightly, “I couldn’t tell ya. Billy has me living with Sam and Emily across the Res. But you know those old geezers, Bella, they’re happy.” I let that settle into my heart, that my father was out there happy. Ignorance was bliss, or so they say.

Alice ran across the field, then, with a power and grace that caused Leah’s mouth to fall open before she quickly composed herself.

“Ready?” she asked.

Jacob nodded his head and pushed himself up from the grass.

Alice and Jacob stood on either side of my chair and called the groups to order. The pack and the Cullens formed a loose semicircle around us.

“Now,” Alice began, “As you all know we are here to participate in the first Vampire-Werewolf Olympics. You will inspire us all to live together in peace and harmony despite all differences we have. This will only be fun if everyone plays fair and respects the rules. Jacob Black, Beta of the wolf pack, has selected today’s events with all of you in mind. Jacob?”

“Yes. Each wolf has selected an event, and they will either choose to compete with an individual vampire or the entire group. We will end the night’s activities with a basketball game, as requested by Emmett Cullen.”

“Dude!” Jared exclaimed, “Can I play as a wolf, like AirBud?”

Emmett hooted and punched his fist into the air, “Yes! Yes!” He brought his hand down and slapped his knee--a deafening sound that echoed through the valley, “Love you, man!”

The wolves chattered excitedly over the notion. I smiled to myself. This was going to go better than I expected.

Jacob’s commanding voice called the boys back to order. “Isabella Swan will be our judge. She will decide whether or not each competition is fair, she will call out any cheating, and she will declare the winner of each event. Her word is final and not to be argued with.”

“That’s not fair,” Quil pointed at Edward, “She’s sleeping with one of them!”

Paul looked like he was about to say something, but one raised eyebrow from Edward shut him up.

“Bella’s word is final and not to be argued with,” Jacob repeated. “Does everyone understand?”

Everyone nodded.

Alice lightly picked up a bow and arrow that I had literally never seen until that moment. Jacob grabbed a lighter from his back pocket and lit the end of the arrow--I flinched away from the burst of bright light. Poised and proper, Alice shot the flaming arrow into the large bonfire she had set up in the center of the field. The fire lit and the games had commenced.

The first event was a footrace. The field was too small for them to get a real race going, so the group followed Alice to the starting line she created some many miles away. I sat at the finish line. Unable to leave me alone in the woods for even a little while, Edward was about to sit out, despite protests from nearly everyone. To appease her brother, Alice handed me her phone and had Edward call it, so he could hear me the entire time I was out of his sight. He didn’t like it, but he reluctantly agreed. Fortunately, it served a double purpose and didn’t make me seem too much like a child. Once the group was at their starting line, I yelled “GO!” into the phone with all of my might. Faster than I ever dreamed was possible, I was scooped up into Edward’s arms. His lips found mine and the rest of the world melted away.

Paul’s voice brought me back to reality, “Damn, is a kiss from the Beautiful Swan going to be the prize for every event? I’m gonna have to start cheating.”

I pulled myself away from the kiss and pushed Edward’s chest. “No. This will not happen again. That was very unprofessional,” I scolded.

Edward did not appear to have learned his lesson, but he placed me back on my chair anyway, “Sorry, miss.”

And the night continued on. Edward carried me to various locations Alice and Jacob had scouted out for events that couldn’t be held in the field. The Cullens were impressed at how well the wolves could keep up with them. Jasper won the high jump, due to his sheer height advantage. Seth impressed everyone with his high dive. Archery was no fun because literally every person hit the bullseye perfectly. Emmett won freestyle wrestling easily against Paul, but Leah defeated Kate in Judo. No one even bothered to compete against Alice after she dazzled us all with her outstanding artistic gymnastics performance.

“Skateboarding?” Edward asked flatly. The group had followed Jacob to a public skatepark for this next event, where Jacob challenged Edward.

“Yeah, man.” Jake nodded. “Is that going to be a problem?” He pulled a skateboard out of the bushes that he must have hidden there.

“I guess not,” Edward sighed. “Do I have ten minutes to prepare?”

“Sure.”

Edward stepped onto a ramp and sat down, keeping me close. He made sure I was comfortably settled on his lap before he pulled out his phone. He typed a few things in and he held it out to me for inspection--Edward had searched for _Best Skateboard Routine_. He instructed me to pick a video and I complied. We spent the next nine-and-a-half minutes watching Tony Hawk zip around a skatepark. When the video ended, Jacob tapped two fingers to his wrist to indicate our time was up.

Edward gingerly lifted me out of his lap and raced to position himself on the top of a series of ramps that looked more like an inground pool than they did anything else. He waited until I was settled on a bench nearby before he launched himself into the pool. Then, my one-hundred-year-old dorky boyfriend who had never touched a skateboard in his life perfectly replicated the stunts we had just watched in the video right in front of our very eyes. When he was finished, I stood and clapped. Emmett and Jasper slapped Edward’s back, offering their brother a few praises.

Edward then handed that skateboard to Jacob, who didn’t look the least bit shaken by Edward’s outstanding performance. Jacob lightly placed the skateboard at the edge of the concrete and hopped into the treeline. When he emerged, he had four legs and was covered in shaggy, russet fur. The wolf stepped onto the skateboard. Jacob took a few beats to arrange his paws so they could all fit on the skateboard. He steadied himself, which was an amazing feat of core strength if wolves still had core strength. Carefully, Jacob stuck out his hind leg to kick a trash can and set him off.

Very, very slowly the wolf on the skateboard rolled across the pavement. My mouth fell open. Beside me, Edward doubled over in laughter. It was the hardest I had ever seen him laugh, and I couldn’t help but join him. The wolf made it the entire length of the skatepark. When he was almost at the end, he let himself go partially up a ramp, only to roll back down to set him off backwards in the opposite direction. Edward’s laughter grew louder; I couldn’t believe how tickled he was by this! Jacob rolled back to his starting point. The wolf leaped back into the woods. When Jacob reemerged in human form, applause roared from the Cullens and the pack behind me. I declared Jacob the winner. Edward nodded his head in agreement at the outcome, still chuckling.

The final event was the highly awaited basketball game. Emmett and Paul borrowed two basketball hoops from Target and set up the court in a large, abandoned parking lot on the outskirts of town. Even surrounded by a dozen supernatural beings, Edward was still on edge about having me in such a sketchy area and chose to sit out of the game so he could stay close beside me. Jacob opted to join us on the stands as well. It was getting late, and I was secretly grateful and I could rest my head on Edward’s shoulder instead of having to hold it up myself. I let my eyes close, uninterested in the basketball game in front of me, while Jacob and Edward chatted at a low volume I couldn’t keep up with.

I must have fallen asleep because I was startled awake by Edward’s uproarious laughter. I jolted upright; was a werewolf on a skateboard again? But Edward and Jacob were still sitting in the grass together, while the basketball game continued beside us. Everyone was surrounding a wolf with sandy fur. Emmett threw up the ball so the wolf could make a foul shot. But that wasn’t what Edward was laughing at.

“No!” Edward cried between chuckles, “No way!”

Jacob was laughing along with him, “Yeah, Dude. For like a month!”

I rubbed my eyes, “What?” I asked groggily.

Edward kissed my eyelid and gently guided my head back to his shoulder, “Nothing, my love. You can go back to sleep, I am so sorry for waking you.”

Jacob was grinning like an idiot, so I simply could not go back to sleep. I had to _know_. “No, I’m not tired anymore. What was funny?”

“Nothing,” Edward said, all innocence.

But Jacob gave another cheeky smile, and Edward struggled to hold in another laugh.

“Jacob, what are you showing him?” I demanded.

“That time in eighth grade. You had just moved to Phoenix and…” He didn’t need to finish, I knew where this was going. I covered my face with my hands in shame. Jacob continued anyway, between giggles, “And those bitches kept commenting on how pale you were? So you used that self-tanning kit?”

Edward laughed again. Jacob must have been hamming it up in his memories for Edward’s amusement. Jacob howled, “You were so orange!”

I flushed _red_ and hid my face in Edward’s shoulder. He was shaking from laughter.

“God, I’m so embarrassing.”

“No,” Edward stroked my hair, “You’re cute.”

“If you met me back then, would you have liked me?”

Edward twisted strands of my hair around his fingers, “I don’t like to think about meeting you at a younger age as a vampire. It feels creepy. But believe me, if I were a human eighth-grade boy, I would have fallen madly in love with that little Oompa Loompa.” He squeezed me closer and Jacob laughed.

“Dude, I can’t even imagine you as a kid,” Jacob admitted, “It feels like every single vampire was just an adult at the start of time and never changed.”

“I was in my eighth year of school in 1910. I can’t remember it well, but I imagine that it sucked.”

“Yikes. I’m sure it did. No Nintendo, no Pokemon…”

“No self-tanner…” Jacob laughed and I tucked face further into Edward’s neck.

There was a brief silence after the boys’ laughter died out. “I never got to thank you, Jacob Black. For your heroic efforts at the vineyard that day.”

“It was nothing.”

“No. It wasn’t. It took courage to go out of your way to save someone who you were taught to treat as an enemy. I think Ephraim would be really proud of the man you have become, Jacob.”

Jacob’s voice was uncharacteristically soft, “What was he like?”

I could hear the smile in Edward’s voice, “Strong, courageous, selfless. Rosalie didn’t stop thinking about his jawline for a week. He was everything you would want in a leader. Your mind is exactly like his.”

“Yeah, but how’s my jawline?”

“Even better.”

They laughed quietly at that, trying not to disturb me again.

"Listen, man, if those evil vamps ever try to come after you all again, feel free to push them towards the border. Sam will have no choice but to help you by defending our land.”

Edward’s thumb rubbed tiny circles on my lower back. “We could never ask that of you guys. You could get hurt.”

Jacob scoffed at that. “Please. We could take out those vampires no problem. I just creamed one at skateboarding.”

“Yeah,” Edward agreed sarcastically, “I'm sure that exact technique would work in a fight.”

Commotion came from the court. “Bella!” Emmett’s voice called. Edward hissed at his brother, but Emmett kept calling my name, “Did you see that winning shot? Bella!”

I groaned. “Yes. Emmett wins, everyone.” Emmett whooped loudly into the night.

Edward raced me back to the starting field for the closing ceremonies. I declared that Emmett deserved first place, then Leah in second, and Jacob in third. The groups playfully argued which was better, having one person in first or having two people place, and I said that they were the exact same level of greatness. No one liked that answer.

The wolves and the Cullen’s discussed the possibilities of other team sports they could play, Emmett aggressively vying for baseball. I also heard Rosalie promising to show Leah how she did her hair, Seth throwing Jasper question after question about vampirism, and Irina giving her number to Embry.

Jacob brought me in for a big goodbye hug, “You need to pick out the next book we read together, Bells.”

“Okay! I’ll find something that has two copies in the library.”

“Sounds like a plan.” He let go and I was immediately wrapped in Edward’s cold embrace.

“See ya, man. Remember what I told ya.”

Edward nodded, “And you remember what I told you.”

And the werewolves and the vampires shook hands and peacefully went their separate ways into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sigh… Don’t you guys wish that this was the Edward/Bella/Jacob dynamic in the book? No hatred? Only friendship? Speaking of, I have a question for you all, and I would truly love some responses, whether it be in the comments/reviews or a private message on Tumblr. I would like to know what you all think I should begin posting after this fic. I have two chapters of an Eclipse rewrite done where Jacob will keep his T/NM personality and the main romantic subplot will be focused on E/B healing after the events of NM. But, I also just finished an outline for a Beauty and the Beast themed Twilight AU which would be nostalgia heaven in this weird, scary 2020 world. I would love to work on either, so let me know what you would prefer to read next. Thank you!


	34. Dates

**B-POV**

I stood in the long line at the checkout desk in the school library. I didn’t necessarily need to check out these books because I knew I would be completing my essay here, but I wanted to stand in the line to give me something to do besides going home. I found myself lingering on campus longer than necessary lately. The house had just been feeling a bit… congested since the arrival of Edward’s cousins. Not to mention, Edward had been composing a lot more since he had lost his daylight ring and was trapped inside, and Tanya was able to sit beside him and give him actual, intelligent constructive criticism, where I could not. I knew it was silly and I knew Edward was my mate, but a small voice in my heart wondered if he would be better off in a relationship he chose rather than the one he was currently trapped in.

I trudged outside, calculating the longest route to my truck when two familiar voices called my name. I turned to see Jessica and Angela waving frantically to get my attention. I waved back and hurried over to them.

“Hi, guys! What’s in the bag?--” I started, but Jessica pulled my scarf so my face was next to hers and the sudden choking halted my words.

She whispered in my ear, “One of the girl’s sisters was able to get me some watermelon vodka.” Angela held up the bag with a goofy grin. Jessica continued, “Don’t bring attention to it.”

Jessica released me, and Angela smiled warmly, “Want to come to our room with us and try it?”

It sounded like it was exactly what I needed. “Sure!”

I followed Jessica and Angela across campus towards their Freshman dorm. I always liked their room. It was stuffed to the brim with colorful clutter from both girls trying to express themselves through decor. Posters and pictures and art covered almost every inch of their walls. There was always soft music playing from some hidden speaker. Jessica pulled me onto her bottom bunk while Angela rummaged through their mini-fridge. Angela filled three plastic cups with pink lemonade halfway and topped them off with the watermelon vodka. She handed both Jessica and I a drink and joined us on the bunk.

Jessica raised her glass, “To shitty ex-boyfriends.”

I choked on my sip, “Jessica?”

“Mike dumped me this morning. What do you think the vodka’s for?”

Before I could properly freak out, Angela raised up her glass too, “Here, here!”

My voice shot up an octave, “Angela?”

“You didn’t know?” She took a large swig of her drink, “I figured Jake would have been the one to tell you. He dumped me two weeks ago.”

“What? Oh my god, I had no idea! I’m so sorry, honestly. That _sucks_!”

The girls took some much needed time complaining as we sipped our spiked lemonade. Mike and Jessica had been on the rocks for awhile according to Jessica, and she was mostly upset that he beat her to the punch. Angela, however, was completely blindsided by her breakup with Jacob as I was. She said she and Jacob were blissfully happy, and she thought they were falling in love. However, two weeks ago, Jacob met her for coffee and broke the news: the two of them weren’t going to last long term and they should call it before anyone gets hurt. I felt absolutely devastated for both of them.

Jessica was already refilling her drink, “Well, at least one of us is in a good relationship.”

I downed my drink and held out my glass for a refill as well, “I don’t know about that. I might have to end things with Edward…”

“What!?” Jessica shrieked, “Bella, you can’t do that! We’re in love with him!”

“I know… but part of me is scared Edward might be in our relationship for the wrong reasons. He would never end it with me, so I might have to for his benefit, you know?”

Jessica topped off Angela’s drink and refilled her own, not even bothering with the lemonade this time, “That is out of the question.”

Angela took a large gulp, “Bella, Edward’s so good to you. What could be the problem?”

“He’s too good, that’s the problem. He’s very…” I struggled to think of a non-supernatural way to explain this to my friends, ”...old fashioned. I think he’s sticking with me because he feels like he has to.”

I could always trust Angela to be intuitive enough to come up with an explanation for my own lies. “Oh, is his family really religious, and he thinks that because you’ve slept together he has to marry you?”

“Yes,” I agreed, “That’s exactly right.”

Jessica refilled all of our cups, “I don’t think that should be a concern. He’s helplessly in love with you, Bells. It'sssickening.” Her words began running together.

“I know he loves me, and I’m scared he thinks he’s simply supposed to at this point. I don’t think I bring him any joy anymore.”

“Bella, how could you say that?”

“I’m his greatest source of stress. It's gotten to the point where he cannot trust me to do anything. He’ll correct my homework for me and sometimes redo it entirely because I’m an idiot. He doesn’t let me cook for myself anymore because he thinks I’ll hurt myself. He burdens himself with so much extra responsibility because I’m simply incapable, and there’s no way he could be happy with this situation.”

“First of all, Bella,” Angela started, her exaggerated hand gestures making the drink slosh around in her cup, “You are not an idiot! You just need to tell him to butt out and that if you want his assistance, you will ask for it. Two! Who is he to say you can no longer cook? No man should tell you what to do!”

“Well, I almost started a fire in the kitchen in his house…” I admitted

A giggle bubbled out of Jessica and grew into raucous laughter out of all three of us. Eventually, the laughter died down when we realized we didn’t remember what we were even laughing about. Or even talking about.

Angela eventually brought us back to the subject, “It doesn’t matter. You are a talented, beautiful, smart, sexy, strong woman, and if you want to cook, you will cook! And he should be grateful that you do!”

“Yeah!” Jessica agreed loudly. “Feminism!”

“I don’t know. On top of all that, I’m not even the best match for him. His three gorgeous cousins are in town and one of them is so beautiful and absolutely perfect for him and of course, they had been sleeping together for years before we met and--”

The cup fell out of Jessica’s hand. “He slept with his _cousin_?!” she shrieked. Angela was speechless, staring at me wide-eyed with her eyebrows raised.

I felt a bright red blush as I realized my mistake. It was getting more and more difficult to find the words in my brain and bring them down to my mouth. “Well, she’s not actually his cousin, you know? They’re more like family friends... And he’s adopted anyway, so it’s not like that, not like that at all!” Neither of them was reassured by my blabbering. “The point being, she is absolutely perfect for him in every conceivable way, but he’s with me.”

“Yeah, Bella,” Angela said slowly, “Probably because she’s his cousin.”

I hid my face in my hand. Why did I have to be such an idiot? I held out my cups for another refill and felt it grow heavy. “I shouldn’t have called her that. Friend. She’s his family _friend_.”

Jessica joined me back on the bed and put her arms around me, “Bella, I think you’re overthinking everything, and you need to just be grateful that his ass is yours to hold.”

“I think what Jessica is trying to say is that you need to stop searching for flaws that aren’t there. Edward loves you, and maybe the way he is showing his love is a little misguided. If you think there’s a problem, address it, and if he doesn’t change his behavior to fix the problem, dump his ass. And if he ever fucked his cousin, definitely dump his ass.”

“Thanks, Angela. You too, Jess.”

Jessica was no longer paying attention. She was tapping away on her phone and Angela went over to make sure she wasn’t texting Mike. Angela squealed and tried to pull the phone out of Jessica’s hand. Both girls called out to me for help, but I was scared of the squabble and scurried up to Angela’s top bunk to hide. Eventually, Angela got the phone away from Jessica and tossed it up to me to hide in the bunk with me. Everything anyone said was hilarious. The three of us could not stop laughing. A light knock on the door set us off, making us laugh even harder.

“Come iiiiiiiiiin!” Jessica sang.

Edward cautiously opened the door. “Bella?” His worried expression vanished when he spotted me sprawled out on Angela’s top bunk. “We need to leave.”

Jessica threw one of her many trinkets at Edward, which he easily caught, “No boys allowed!” she yelled.

Edward smiled apologetically at that. He helped me down the ladder and handed me my shoes, “Sorry, ladies. I’m afraid Bella forgot we had plans this evening.”

Angela was uncontrollably giggling, “I’m sure you do. Gonna go fuck your cousin, Cousin Fucker?"

Edward’s perfect eyebrows drew together, “Pardon me?”

Jessica was staring lovingly at Edward’s butt, her hand raised like she was about to touch it, “I agree with Bella. I don’t care that you’re a Cousin Fucker. I love you…”

I was on the ground, with two shoelaces in my hands, wondering what I was doing sitting on the ground with two shoelaces in my hands.

Edward knelt on the ground beside me, visibly uncomfortable, “Come on, sweetheart. We’re going to be late.”

Oh, right. I was leaving with Edward. I didn’t bother with tying the laces and tucked them into my shoes instead. Edward held onto my elbow and supported most of my weight as we stood. We said our goodbyes to my friends and he led me out of the dorm. Once we got closer to the dark Commuter lot, Edward swung me up and into his arms. It was crazy up here, all light and swingy. I let my head lean back so I could watch everything but upside down with an appreciation for all things upside down that I’d never had before. He sat me in his car and clicked the seatbelt around me. I didn’t like it, it felt too tight, too choking, and I clicked the little button to free myself.

When he got into the car he sighed and clicked me back in, “Bella, sweetheart, please sit still.”

“What’re our plans again, Smooooochie?” I giggled at the pet name; it was really fun to say. Why didn’t I call him that all my time? I looked over and smiled at my pretty, little Smoochie.

“We don’t have any.”

What? “Then why’d you pick me up?”

“You’re drunk.”

“So?”

"So, something could have happened. You could have gotten hurt.”

“Smoochie. I was in my friends’ dorm room. What was going to happen to me there?”

He had his answer at the ready, “You could have gotten sick and hit your head on a toilet while you were throwing up.”

I draped myself across the center console, clicking off the stupid seatbelt to do so, “Yeah, I’m sure that would have been my demise.”

“Falling and hitting one’s head on bathroom porcelain is not an uncommon way for humans to die, Bella.” I’ve never heard this tone in his voice directed at me before. This was usually the way he spoke towards Emmett after one of his hilarious pranks. I didn’t like it.

“So, you don’t even think I’m capable of keeping myself alive in a bathroom?”

“No,” it was almost a growl, but he stopped himself and sighed instead, “Yes. It’s not that, Bella. It just feels like every single time you’re out of my sight for too long, you get hurt.”

I twisted so I was on my back and I reached up to touch his face with my hands, “I’m fine, Smoochie.”

His face softened ever-so-slightly and he kissed my finger that lingered closest to his lips, “And I intend to keep it that way. Please make an effort to be more careful, Bella. For me.”

Smoochie was always right, and I didn’t see why he would be wrong about this. I let my hands drop and curled into myself in the passenger seat. All Smoochie wanted was to keep me safe. His precarious pet. His loser lover. His bane. His burden. His curse. His pathetic, human mate…

The following morning, Esme kept me company while I ate breakfast. Edward was at his piano, singing out his latest composition. Typically, the two of us would be enraptured in Edward’s playing, but lately, his music had been tainted by his darker thoughts. Esme tried to distract me with questions about my latest essay while Edward’s voice sang out: _And honey, I’m worried about you. Put yourself in my shoes. You’re all that I have! Please don’t die_.

I sighed and pushed my half-eaten omelet away, “It’s all my fault, Esme.”

“What is, darling?”

I gestured vaguely around me to indicate Edward’s playing.

Esme smiled fondly, “No it’s not. His music takes little dips like this every now and then. You should hear his compositions from the early Nineties--it was absolutely abysmal.”

I didn’t believe her. Edward was always worried about me, and it had gotten worse with the threat of the other coven hanging over our heads. Eleazar and Carlisle had returned home with no allies and no plan. Eleazar and Carmen were currently upstairs with Jasper going over everything Aro had done in the past, so the three could plan a strategy for every scenario they could think of. On top of that, Edward had no confidence in me to keep myself safe in day-to-day life. As much as I tried to deny it he was right. I was a hopeless disaster.

Esme pursed her pretty lips and rose from the table, “I think I have an idea to make him feel better, Bella. You wait here.” And she flitted off towards her son. The playing stopped. After several minutes of eerie silence, Edward came down and asked me if I would like to go on date with him this afternoon. I smiled at the formality and graciously agreed.

He took my hands in his, “It feels like we’ve been in a weird place lately, Bella, and I think a normal date is exactly what we need.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” I replied, silently thanking Esme for her meddling.

He left me to get ready. Normally, I would throw on the first thing my hands touched in the closet, knowing it wouldn’t make a difference. When I was out in public with Edward, I could be wearing a ballgown or a trash bag and no one would notice me at his side. However, I was about to do something I never thought I would. It was our first normal date in a long time and I wanted it to be special, so I knocked on Alice’s door. She squealed and pulled me into her closet.

Hours later, dressed in a navy blue dress with a Peter Pan collar, thick-knit camel-colored cardigan and high-heeled booties that Alice promised were easy to walk in, Edward led me into the cutest little bookshop in downtown Seattle. It was perfectly stereotypical, with dark wood tones, worn-down chairs and sofas scattered around, and fairy lights draped along the ceiling. Through the stacks of books, I could make out a small café on the other side of the shop.

“I thought we could buy a book for each other. If you’d like, we could split the cost of the two books perfectly in half, so it’s practically not a gift at all.”

I smiled ruefully at his assurance. “Sounds lovely.”

“And we could eat here afterward. There’s something called a Goober Pie, and I, for one, would love to find out what a goober is.”

I hesitated, I always felt awkward when Edward would pay for a large extravagant meal for the two of us, only to watch me eat. He would always give his leftovers to the first homeless person we encountered after the meal, but it still felt rude to make him spend so much money on me.

He correctly assessed my reluctance and grabbed a paper menu from the clear, plastic holder on the wall. “It’s not over-the-top, I promise.”

Thirteen dollars still seemed a bit much for just a chicken sandwich, but given Edward’s usual standards, this was cheap. I beamed up at him “I’d love to!”

He smiled back, obviously pleased with himself that I approved of the date he planned. “Alright, I’ll find you after I pick out your new book.” He kissed my crown and sauntered gracefully towards the romance section.

I had a little more difficulty. Edward had seen my entire book collection and had it memorized, but he had decades of sleepless years filled with reading that I had to consider. After several minutes of aimless wandering, I found myself in the philosophy section. _Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance_ seemed promising. Edward liked fast vehicles, and I was such a burden on his life, he could certainly use some peace…

I flipped the book around and read the summary when a cool arm snaked around my waist, “What did you find, sweetheart?”

I handed Edward the book I just picked for him, “Have you read this one yet?”

“Nope.” Edward kissed my hair, “And now I can’t wait to.”

“Would you mind if I read it after you?”

“Not at all; we can read it together.” Edward smiled, “Besides, I’ll probably need your brilliant insight to make sense of any of it.” I rolled my eyes. Right, like Edward needed my sad, small point of view on anything.

He handed me my new book. I turned the book to read the summary on the back. It was a recent adaptation of a love story from the Islamic Golden Age. I traced the elegant cover art with my finger.

“I’ve always loved this story,” he told me. “A dangerous secret, a brooding love interest, a wily, beautiful heroine… Sound familiar?”

“You think I’m broody?” I teased.

He snickered, “And what is your dangerous secret?”

“It’s a secret!”

“Oh, that’s right.” I pulled me tight against him, “Come, my moody, little prince. Let’s buy these books and get you some food.”

After we purchased our books, we followed a hostess towards the small cafe. The dining space was small and crowded. Edward had to let go of my waist and pull me along behind him; he skirted gracefully between the tables while I trudged after in my heels. As we were about to be seated, he turned around and smiled shyly at me. The expression was so cute and unexpected, I was suddenly dazzled. In fact, I was so dazzled, I forgot to look down at my foot when I took my next step. I stumbled slightly, but the heels prevented me from retaining my balance, throwing me off again right away. I tumbled towards the ground, instinctively reaching for Edward. I got a hold of the sleeve of his shirt, but instead of it helping me to stay up, I tore the sleeve and brought it down with me. “Bella?”

I couldn’t look away from the shirt I had destroyed, “I’m so sorry, Edward.” The words were barely a whisper.

“It’s fine, my love,” he reassured, gently pulling me off the floor. “Are you alright?”

I didn’t look at him. I knew I wouldn’t like what I would see if I did: his expression too understanding, his eyes too loving. Nothing but blind love for his pathetic, human mate. I shook my head and twisted out of his arms, deeply ashamed. He said my name once more, but I was already out of his grasp.

My sad attempt at escape was thwarted immediately when I ran face-first into a full tray of food. The tray crashed out of the waitress’s hands onto the table beside her, covering the occupants in three different pasta dishes. The heavy-set man sitting at the table flushed bright red and stood up from his seat, demanding my attention. I muttered a quick apology, too awkward to do anything else but try to run out once more. He grabbed my arm as I tried to slip past. His hand was large and sweaty and easily held me prisoner.

Edward was at my side before the man could voice his threat. “Let go of her. Now.”

The man loosened his grip slightly at Edward’s tone, sharp and deadly as a blade. “Then tell your little harlot she will be paying for my meal as well as my wife’s dry cleaning,” the man growled. His fingers dug painfully into my arm.

“Excuse me?” Edward asked darkly.

The man finally released my arm to point a meaty finger at Edward’s chest and give another empty threat. It was a bad idea on his part, but it gave me another chance to flee. I was almost out of the dining room when I stepped on the heel of the shoe wrong once more and fell into a book display. Edward called my name. I twisted on the floor to sit up and take off these hazardous shoes.

A waiter stepped into the dining room from the kitchen, carefully carrying a precarious tray. He was so intent on his delivery, he didn’t see the mess—including myself—before him. I tried to hurry with the shoes, but my nervousness made my fingers clumsier and I struggled with the stupid buckle. He slipped on one of the books and landed right on top of me, I gasped as the weight of his body knocked the air out of me. The contents on the tray turned out to be six cups of hot coffee. Scalding liquid rained over the two of us and the contents of the book display I had knocked over.

“Please get out of my way,” I heard Edward request, his velvet voice rough with worry. “Bella!”

The waiter hurriedly righted himself. He began picking up the broken cups and throwing insults in my direction. I blocked out his voice and finally, finally got off the second shoe. Edward’s honeyed voice was closer now; it was calmer than the waiter’s. I didn’t listen well enough to hear if Edward was trying to calm down me or the waiter, but it wasn’t working on either of us. The waiter’s shouts were still ringing in my ears. Nerves tried to lock me down on the ground, my legs shook with fear as I was quickly becoming a spectacle. I grabbed something along the wall to help me stand, but it wasn’t strong enough to support me. I fell back to the ground, pulling it along with me.

Several gasps echoed around me. I looked at the object in my hand only to discover that it was the electrical wire attached to the Edison-bulb string lights that wrapped around the perimeter of the store. Horror washed through me. My tug brought down the first Edison bulb, and the others quickly followed. The store became silent aside from the _plink—plink—plink_ of the bulbs breaking from their adhesive followed by the _plunk—plunk—plunk_ —of glass shattering on the floor.

Edward pulled me up and into his chest, “Bella?”

“I’m okay,” I murmured so low that only Edward would hear me.

Around us, chaos ensued. Members of the waitstaff hastily cleaned up the pasta and now the coffee. The hostess rushed into the bookshop and she and other staff members tried to pick up the large pieces of glass, shooing away customers trying to help. An important-looking lady stomped up to Edward and informed him that he will be paying for all of the damages. A second man stalked closer to yell something else, and then a third. Their demands all began to blur together and I sank deeper into Edward’s protective embrace. Edward pulled out his wallet and began placing cash into outstretched hands, but that did not silence the yelling. It followed us through the store and out the front door and continued on the street. Edward was calm and reassuring and he eventually handed over his credit card.

When the yelling finally stopped and we were alone on the sidewalk, Edward rubbed his hand along my arm, “Are you alright, Bella?”

I didn’t answer.

“It’s fine, Bella. No one was severely injured and there was no major damage done.” Apparently, that was a successful trip for me. I sank deeper into his side, ashamed.

Someone came out of the store to return Edward’s credit card. They dangled something small in front of Edward’s face. “I imagine you’ll want this back, as well.” It was a beautiful, diamond ring. An engagement ring. I suddenly wanted to die. Not only did I ruin our date and an entire store, but I had also ruined another proposal. I closed my eyes, horrified by my never-ending destruction.

Edward held out his hand to catch the ring. “Yes, thank you,” he responded quietly.

“Please do not return to our establishment,” the man instructed.

Edward tucked the ring into the front pocket of his shirt and nodded, “Yes, sir.”

I realized I left Alice’s boots in the store, and there was no way I was getting those back now. I hoped they weren’t vintage… Edward wrapped his arms around me and pulled me down the street alongside him.

He sighed dramatically, “I’m sorry you had to see my little surprise. I really wish he found a slightly more subtle way of doing that.” I had just destroyed the man’s lovely bookstore and cafe, I was sure there were plenty of better ways to slip Edward his ring, but the man chose the most obnoxious way on purpose, and I didn’t blame him.

“They say third time’s the charm,” Edward teased as he led me back to his car. But I didn’t want to joke. I wanted a lie down in a puddle and drown.

“It’s probably for the best that you thwarted this plan; it wasn’t very good,” he chuckled to himself, still trying to make me feel better, “The ring was hidden in a copy of Dracula. I was going to have you read a passage, and find the ring. It was a dumb idea. I’m sure I’ll come up with a better one.”

I didn’t say anything. I thought It was a cute idea.

When we got to his sleek, black car he opened the passenger door for me. Before I ducked into the car, he caught me and pulled me up on the sidewalk beside him. Gingerly, he took my face into his hands, forcing me to look at him. His golden eyes were swirling with love and desire that should be directed at someone more deserving than me, “I love you, forever. You know that, right?”

I nodded and leaned my cheek into his palm, reveling in his gentle touch.

“Good. Because nothing is going to change that, Bella.”

He said it like it was a good thing. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen, I know some of you guys are upset or annoyed about Bella’s self-esteem, but we gotta go through some lows so the highs will feel even higher! Don’t worry, our girl Bella will discover her inner worth by the end of the fic, and her relationship with Edward will be all but stronger because of it! I promise! 
> 
> The song Edward is singing is Please Don't Die by Father John Misty


	35. The Battle Pt1

**E-POV**

This weekend had been ...difficult for my Bella to say the least. On Friday night, I had to fetch her from her friends before she drunkenly fell from a top bunk bed and broke her arm. Saturday evening, a small slip had sent her spiraling down a path of destruction in a bookstore which eventually led to our removal and banishment from the place. We decided to take it easy this Sunday afternoon. The pouring rain was good weather for me, but bad weather for her, so we stayed inside. We spent most of the morning in our bed, listening to music and enjoying each other. We researched what a Goober Pie was--turned out it was a peanut butter pie--and made our own with Esme’s help. We started a _Lord of the Rings_ marathon and the family filtered in and out throughout the day.

Bella had fallen asleep right before the Battle of Pelennor Fields. The Denali sisters circled close to the screen, giggling in anticipation for their favorite part of the films: Legolas single-handedly taking down an Oliphaunt. In her slumber, Bella snuggled a bit closer to me. She sighed sweetly and whispered her love for me, as she often did. No longer interested in the movie, I looked down at my perfect love and enjoyed the small expressions on her beautiful face as she dreamed of me.

The thoughts of the sisters were berating, irritating, and quickly killing the mood.

_Oh my god, she talks in her sleep?! Without a doubt that is the CUTEST thing. I want a cute human… The suitable men in Alaska are so burly and tough. Maybe I should look in New York City…_

_I’m sure Edward creams himself over that every night…_

_I once slept with a man who talked in his sleep too. Boy didn’t confess his love for me but he sure did have a lot of dreams about his best friend…_

I was about to tell them to shut up and leave when Carlisle and Esme walked into the room, followed closely by Eleazar and Carmen. I wanted to doubt the alliance with the couple from the very beginning, but I could not find a single fault in their thoughts. Jasper, who had probably spent the most time with them, was also unable to sense any sort of resentment or negativity from their emotions, either.

Eleazar had been with Aro and his brothers almost since the very beginning of the formation of their coven. Because of his gift of seeing the powers of other vampires, he quickly rose among the ranks in the developing coven. He would be sent around the world to look for any vampire with useful talents to add to the coven. A gentle person by nature, he wasn't entirely happy with the methods of his masters, but he thought that the more refined lifestyle and future plans of this coven would be better for both the vampire and human races in the long run. That outing the vampire presence in the world would lead to less slaughter of innocent people and more practical ways of feeding. Eleazar eventually met Carmen and instantly became her mate. She, too, joined Aro’s coven because she longed for a better way of living than the typical nomadic lifestyle of a predator. Neither of them knew they could feed from animal blood.

In Eleazar’s mind, meeting Carlisle was like meeting a god. This blessed man opened his eyes to a world that he was seeking, one where humans and vampires could coexist. He told Carmen and she was immediately sold on the entire concept. They lingered around to get any future information they could, but they could not be around Aro himself, lest he read their thoughts and discover that they were about to leave. The moment Marcus informed Carmen that she would be traveling with Erik to kidnap a human in America, the couple decided it was time to go and set off to warn the Denali girls of the looming threat to one of their companions.

Even after hearing all of that, and seeing the memories played out in their minds myself, I still tucked Bella closer into my chest as they approached. They had both been stringent about their new diet, believing that it was the fastest way to show where their allegiance stood. On top of that, Bella’s veins were filled with toxic Vervain, but I refused to take any risks with my love. The two couples sat away from the TV in the chairs surrounding our large fireplace. They had recently returned from a vampire Eleazar considered an ally, but returned empty-handed. The couple was afraid to outright say their plans to anyone in the coven, lest Aro hears their thoughts and discover where they are. Subtlety didn’t work in either gaining followers or information, so they returned to work on a new strategy with Jasper.

Bella was still murmuring softly when the rest of my siblings filtered into the room. Alice placed a tray of snacks in front of Bella for when she awoke, for which I thanked her. Emmett and Rosalie took their place on the loveseat and snuggled up with one another. I searched for Jasper’s thoughts in the house, and they were up in his room. He was rereading one of his old journals for advice from his old self. Although we all had a perfect memory, there was something about reading the actual words on paper that inspired better ideas.

Alice and I were thrown into a vision, suddenly. The living room transformed into a small, private beach at sundown. The little beach pointed into a peninsula, where a couple stood under an arbor draped in flowers. They were casually dressed, but the flowing white dress worn by the woman made it clear Alice was having a vision of a wedding. The couple was unrecognizable, so I wondered why Alice was seeing this. As soon as the sun tucked behind the horizon and the couple kissed, we saw three vampires creep out from the dark woods. I recognized the redheaded woman we followed across the world, as well as the other woman who stayed in the Greenland house. The third vampire, I had never seen before. With superhuman speed and grace, they managed to force-feed vampire blood to all the guests watching the couple’s ceremony and break their necks in the duration of the couple’s kiss. The couple turned to face their guests, but only saw the slaughter, and they too were met with the very same fate. The vision melted away and Alice and I were left reeling. I clutched my sleeping darling closer to my chest, grateful for the melodic sound of her heartbeat.

Alice let out a small yelp of pain. Everyone in the room turned to look at her. “A… a beach.” Alice was struggling to describe the gruesome vision, “There was a couple having a small, intimate wedding at sundown on a beach… It was just them and small families on either side. For miles and miles. They were all turned.”

Esme pulled Alice into her side and stroked her hair, “Oh, baby, I am so sorry you had to see that.” Alice wrapped her arms around Esme and squeezed tight. Alice tearlessly sobbed into Esme’s side, “They turned them all!” she wailed.

Esme shushed her daughter with soothing, calming sounds and held her tighter.

“Fuck,” Eleazar muttered. And then repeated with more feeling, “Fuck! I hate this one. Jasper!”

Jasper appeared at his side, “Already listening.”

“Looks like they chose your specialty, Jasper. They just turned a group of people, and they’re going to lead the newborns right to you.” He pointed at Bella, “Presumably to your girl, there.”

“What?” I growled.

“Wait,” Tanya interrupted, “What’s happening?”

Carmen sat next to Tanya and softly explained, “When a human is in the transition to becoming a vampire, they must drink human blood to complete the process. If they do not drink it, they will die in twenty-four hours. In the transient state, their vampire senses and strength are at their highest, however, their bodies realize something is wrong, which makes them dangerous and volatile. Aro, and others in history, have used transitioning vampires to attack large groups of vampires by telling the newborns the other group has what they need to survive.”

“Why would they do that?” Rosalie asked, “You’re not there. He has no idea if these vampires will be gifted or not.”

Eleazar waved a finger at Rosalie, “Oh, he has no intention of keeping any of them. Jasper knows this tale all too well, it’s one of the oldest tricks in the book. These newborns are the shield for his best fighters. They will go in, weaken your large, powerful coven, and then the stronger fighters can come in and finish the job. He won't feed them any human blood and let them die when he’s finished with them.”

“Jasper?” Carlisle asked, “You know how to take down newborns without necessarily killing them, correct?”

“Yessir,” Jasper nodded, “I often had to control my own troops without sacrificing any of them,”

“Good.” Carlisle rubbed his hands together, “We will take down these newborns without killing them, turn their malicious attack into an offering of peace,” he faced the room, “Do you hear that, kids? I want as little slaughter as possible.”

Carlisle turned to Alice, still in Esme’s embrace, “Alice? Can you tell me what our timeframe is, darling?”

Alice sniffed in the safety of her mother’s arms, “It looked like the wedding started perfectly at sundown, which is in ten minutes.”

I studied the background of Alice’s vision. “It looked like Bone River Preserve to me,” I whispered, Alice agreed. “They’ll be coming from the south.”

Carlisle looked at Jasper for guidance, “It’ll take about thirty minutes at most for the new vampires to become ravenous.”

“Alright, that gives us about an hour and a half...” Carlisle rushed over towards Esme’s antique desk and pulled out a map. He looked it over with Jasper and Eleazar and trailed a finger across it, “Do you think he’ll have them run up the coast or travel through the mountains?”

“They’ll swim,” Jasper and Eleazar responded in unison.

“Well, that will certainly speed things up… an hour, then.” Carlisle considered. He drew a circle on the map and, through his eyes, saw the circle between The Preserve and our house, far into the Olympic National Forest. “We want to meet up with them there. We’ll head there now with Jasper, who will offer a refresher course on humanly taking down newborn vampires.

“Edward, Kate,” Carlisle called. “Kate, you’re the fastest, and Edward, you’ve seen inside Jasper’s mind, so you know the techniques. Start running up and down the coast, leading them here.” he pointed to his circle.

Kate flitted over to his side and reviewed the map, nodding. In her head, she showed me the routes she was going to take and told me where she wanted me to go. She was out the back door in a flash, but I hesitated.

“Edward!” Carlisle spoke in a commanding voice he hardly ever used.

“Who’s staying with Bella?”

“She’ll be safe in the house,” Jasper needlessly reminded me, “They can’t get to her here.”

My teeth snapped together, “Who is staying with Bella?” I repeated.

“I will, Edward,” Irina offered.

Not my first choice, but certainly not my last. Irina didn’t like violence any more than Carlisle and was relieved to have an excuse to remove herself from the fight, deadly or not.

Gently, I shifted Bella’s body onto the sofa and curled her up in the corner. I dashed to grab some paper to leave her a note, but when I returned, she was roused.

“Edward?” she mumbled, reaching out.

I took her outstretched hands in mine, “Shh, it’s alright, sweetheart. Go back to sleep, I’ll explain everything when you wake up.”

She sat up, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hands. She looked around the suddenly crowded room with a little crease between her brow, “Edward? What happened?”

“The other coven is making a move, but Alice saw them in time. We’ll be ready for them.”

“Okay, what am I going to do?”

I pursed my lips, “You don’t need to do anything, my love. We’ll be okay. All you need to do is stay in the house and you’ll be fine. They can’t get to you here.”

In his mind, Jasper reviewed the many techniques in which his troop used Vervain as a weapon. _Well, actually…_

“Not a chance,” I snarled.

He held up his hands defensively, “I know, I know. Just a passing thought.”

“What?” Bella asked, looking between Jasper and I. “What?” she demanded again when neither of us responded.

Jasper explained his thoughts to Bella, “With Newborns, Vervain can be used offensively. Especially with ones as new as these ones. They haven’t had time to discern between flavors of blood, or what different scents will mean. They’ll smell blood, and go absolutely ravenous. We would poison human blood with Vervain, and when they fed on it, they would get sick and be easier to take down.”

I wove my fingers through her hair, “But I would never ask that of you, sweetheart.”

She stood up from the couch, defiantly, “Just tell me where to stand, and where to bleed.”

I shot Jasper a look, he apologized in his head. _I didn’t think she’d be crazy enough to go for it, man_.

I wanted to groan. Bella was in a romantic relationship with a vampire; the love of my life was far from sane. Naturally, she would want to be a part of a fight she would be entirely helpless in. She was drawn to all things dangerous.

“No, Bella. Trust me, we don’t need to go to those lengths.”

"Alice?” Bella asked, “How many newborns?”

Alice briefly considered lying to Bella to make the situation seem less dire, but decided she could not deceive her best friend, “Twenty-eight.”

Bella’s eyes widened, “That’s more than two each!” she rolled up her sleeves like she was about to cut open her arms right now, “I have to be there.”

“No, Bella. You’re staying here with Irina.”

Bella’s eyebrows shot up, “So not only are you refusing my help, but you are also having another vampire sit out?” She moved her hands to her hips, “Not a chance, Edward. I’m going to help you.”

Tanya spoke up for the first time that night, “I think it’s an excellent idea.”

“Bella, please,” I begged, “The best thing you can do for the sake of my sanity is to stay in the house. Please!”

She shook her head, “You said that one of the reasons to keep me human was because if something were to happen to me, there was a way to bring me back, and if I was a vampire, there would be no way to bring me back. Which means, I can be brought back, but there would be no way to bring any of you back.”

I wanted to tear all of my hair out and scream, but I miraculously managed to maintain my calm facade, “Bella, I was referring to a horrible accident, not so we have an excuse to put you in danger! No, I will not use you as bait!” “Why not?” I knew the best way to get what I wanted from her was to use her naturally pure and caring heart against her. I hated to manipulate her like this, but her life was too important to me. “Look at it this way: if you are there in that fight with me, you will be my only concern. I will always put you and your safety above myself. However, if you are here, my top priority will be returning to you and I will fight for my life to see you again.”

She set her jaw, stubbornly.

“Please, Bella,” I begged.

She sat back down on the sofa. Her eyes were glassy like she was about to cry. Around me, my family left to follow Jasper to the clearing. Bella and I were left with Irina, standing awkwardly on the perimeter of the room, now nervous to be left alone with a crying human.

I knelt down in front of Bella and took her hands in mine, “I am so sorry, Bella. Please remember that everything I do is out of love for you.”

The tiniest bob of her head indicated her acquiesce, “I love you, too.” I pressed my lips up to hers for a goodbye kiss and reminded her that I would be right back.

Once outside, I picked to my top speed right away, towards the paths Kate directed me to. Aro could not have picked a better location to turn those unfortunate people. All of our hunting ground was to the north, and Bella and the school were east; we rarely went to the beaches to the Southwest of the house, where the newborns were quickly approaching. He should have known that from my thoughts, but I guessed he had to favor finding a sizable group in a remote location above the location itself. Kate and I were running several paths from the shore towards the clearing, where the coven would pick up on my family’s scent before they actually reached the house.

When I felt like I had done a sufficient job, I went up to the clearing to review my work with Alice. Kate was already in the field, going over her technique with Jasper and Tanya. Kate had one of the most impressive talents among us: she had the ability to send electric currents out of her body and effectively shock people. It was incredibly impressive. Under Jasper’s supervision and using Emmett as the test dummy, Kate and Tanya were practicing their move. Kate would go in and shock the newborn until they were entirely motionless and Tanya would follow in her wake and rip them apart. Jasper was reminding Tanya of the most effective order of parts to tear. Across the field, Carlisle and Esme were sparring with Carmen and Eleazar as a warm-up.

Alice went through the battle in her head. The paths were going to work. Aro himself was nowhere to be seen, instead, he sent three of his trusted fighters. They would be mildly suspicious of the fresh scents but would take into account that Alice’s vision would be able to see their Master’s plan, and we would retaliate. Overconfidence would send their army straight to us. Once the newborns arrived, we were golden. Kate and Tanya immediately took one down. I saw myself gracefully taking on two newborns, quickly overtaking them both with excellent form, if I do say so myself. Jasper’s overprotective tendencies made it so Alice barely fought, but instead matched Tanya’s role on the tear-up commity. The rest of the family held their own in battle. The fight seemed to be going well. We had our hands full of newborns, so two of Aro’s flunkies were able to get a fire going. It didn’t seem to be a concern to us in the future, for we were quickly dominating the newborns with no casualties, and would soon be able to take on Aro’s more proficient coven members twelve-to-three.

Emmett’s size made him a popular target in battle. The newborns flocked to him to take him down. Esme, Carlisle, and Rosalie went to his side, tearing off bits of newborns from the outside while Emmett scraped for his life inside. Distracted by worry for her son, Esme was not as self-aware as she should be. While Carlisle and Rosalie occasionally turned to fight off any threats to their own person, all of Esme’s focus was on her son.

Alice screamed out loud as the two of us watched one of Aro’s vampires get a hold of a distracted Esme and tore her head off and threw it into the fire. “Edward!” she cried out, knowing that I saw what she saw. Sensing the sudden fear from his wife, Jasper ran to her side to pull her into his chest.

I changed tactics in my mind; I went for the better fighters first. But I was only able to take on one instead of two and Emmett was still overrun, and we were left with the same result. Alice tried a different approach too, but again we failed. The problem each time was that there were just too many vampires around Emmett. We needed one more fighter to help…

Alice seemed to realize this at the same time I did. “Irina?” She begged.

I could not let anything happen to my mother, and Irina being at the house was merely a precaution.

I sucked in a deep breath and nodded. “Kate! Can you please fetch Irina?”

The second Kate left to fetch Irina, the vision of Esme’s death went away entirely. With one extra vampire on our side, Emmett was no longer overtaken by newborns. Alice let out an enormous sigh of relief. I, too, felt a heavy weight lift off of me. Alice’s visions of a successful fight were getting clearer and clearer as the family went over techniques and plans with one another. Irina soon arrived at the field with Kate. According to the visions, the newborns were due to arrive in twenty minutes, so Irina had plenty of time to prepare herself. She was going to take on a similar role to Tanya, but for Emmett instead. Emmett was grateful. He enjoyed the fight itself, and he preferred to get his enemy to the point of defeat, and then move onto the next. Tearing them apart was too tedious.

The newborns were due to arrive any minutes now. Alice was rewatching one particularly badass vision of Rosalie, gripping a vampire by the head and swinging her legs up to kick the chest of the vampire with both feet. The vampire’s body flew back, and the head remained in Rosalie’s hands. Rosalie was about to toss the head away in the vision when it disappeared entirely. Alice quirked her head to the side, wondering what caused Rosalie to discard the move.

She checked on the other visions, but they were no longer there. Only her memories of the visions were there, not the visions themselves. The battle was disappearing from the future entirely. She searched for the newborns themselves, wondering if Aro’s plan had changed, but they were nowhere.

“Did they all die?” she asked me from across the field, correctly assuming I was watching this with her.

Jasper appeared at her side, concerned over the confusion radiating from his wife, “What do you see, darling?”

“Nothing,” she breathed into the night air. At that, the warm-up matches around the clearing ceased, and our family gathered around Alice. “They just went black… like they all died.”

Jasper considered that, “Well, newborns sometimes attack each other, maybe Aro lost control of the group.”

Alice raised her eyebrows, “All at once?”

“Did Aro change tactics?” Carmen asked.

Alice shook her head, “If he did, the visions would simply change, they wouldn’t disappear entirely.”

We reviewed and discussed the possibilities that could have forced Aro to destroy his newly created newborn army.

Alice gasped, suddenly remembering something else that caused creatures to disappear from her sight, “The werewolves!”


	36. The Battle Pt2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the shorter chapter. I wanted it to end at a certain point, and I didn’t want to distract from the plot with too much unnecessary dialog. The rest of the chapters are fairly long, so hopefully, that makes up for it.

**B-POV**

I was livid. And also terrified. But mostly livid.

My family was out there, fighting for our lives, and I was stuck in the house like a child. Well, me and Irina. She hadn’t moved since the Cullens left her alone in the house with me. Her expression was hesitant, wary; she looked like the babysitter who didn’t think the baby would wake from its nap when they took the job.

I hopped up from the couch. Ignoring the snacks someone left out for the human, I began pacing around the house. What was Edward’s problem? Sure, he had seen me as a clumsy human fail miserably at basic, everyday tasks. But, he had also seen me at my best! I was the one who stabbed that vampire, James, before he could brutalize Rosalie. Hell, I was the one who found him at the vineyard and saved him! My blood was an asset, and he was wasting it.

Him playing the guilt card was a low blow. Of course, I would never want to cause him grief, just as he didn’t want to put me in any more danger. However, the opposite was true as well! I did not want him in any more danger, and right now, he was put in more danger than he had to. Because of me. Because he also had Irina babysitting me.

I looked up at her, standing perfectly still across the room. She gave me a shy smile. I frowned back and continued to pace.

“We could do facials,” Irina suggested in a small voice, “Or, um, paint our toes. I think I’ve seen a movie where human girls do that.”

I was facing away from her and she couldn’t see my exaggerated eye roll.

“Order a pizza? Oh! I’ll do your makeup. Get you all gussied up for when Edward returns.”

I whirled to glare at her, “Don’t you think it’s a bit unfair that Edward and the family are out there fighting, and I have to stay here?”

She sighed and clasped her hands behind her back, “He wants you safe, Bella. That’s all.”

I huffed and plopped down on the chair at Esme’s desk, “I want him safe, too, Irina. Why do you think I want to help?”

She didn’t answer my question and instead continued to fire off activities for us to do that she’d seen in late Nineties Television. “Come on, Bella! It would make the time go by so much faster, and I’ve always thought it would be cute to play makeover for a human, like Allison or Tai or Gracie!”

Great. Now I was the pathetic, useless human who could use some hair rollers and mascara.

Being the pushover that I was, I looked around the room for anything of interest other than Irina’s pleading expression. My eyes wandered over Esme’s desk, and at the map of the Pacific Northwest that was now draped over it. I studied the familiar landmarks and read the names of the tiny towns surrounding Forks. A large circle on the page indicated where Edward’s family was now, preparing for battle. I looked around the area, seeing if there was any way I could get there on my own. Or, perhaps, with the help of a certain werewolf. A smile spread across my face and my eyes darted to the part of the map where La Push was located when I thought of my best friend. And then I noticed the arrows pointing from the water towards Carlisle’s circle, and where they passed.

“Irina, look!” I pointed excitedly on the map, but she did not move any closer, “Jasper thinks the newborns will be emerging from the water right by Second Beach in La Push! We could call the wolves and--”

Irina interrupted me with a hard smile “I don’t think Carlisle would want that.”

“Why not?” I demanded. “The Cullens have a very tense relationship with the tribe, Bella. Carlisle wouldn’t want to strain that relationship by leading a fight to their lands.”

“But Jacob said--”

“Jacob Black is not the Alpha and had no right to say anything on the matter that night.” Her voice was suddenly that of the ancient vampire she was, instead of the nineteen-year-old she would forever be perceived as. The authority in her words held off my rebuke.

I slumped back onto my chair. I knew the wolves would want to help; the vampires would be crossing the southern tip of the Reservation, and the wolves are bound by ancient laws to protect that land. If I could bring the vampires close enough to the wolves, the wolves would be able to take on half of the army themselves while the Cullens backed them up, Jacob just needed a little warning so they would be prepared.

Kate flashed into the room. She and Irina spoke in soft voices too quickly for me to discern. Irina didn’t look pleased, but she didn’t look surprised, either.

The sisters came over to me. Kate spoke first, “The newborns are going to be more of a problem than Alice anticipated.”

I couldn’t believe it. I was actually going to be able to help my family! “Okay!” I pulled the wooden stake out of the kangaroo pocket of my hoodie. Kate and Irina both jumped back, each yelling their own profanity.

Kate gingerly plucked the stake out of my hand and put it back on the desk, “No, I meant that Irina is going to be in the field. Edward will want you to stay in the house.”

“But that’s not fair!” I argued. “It’s my family too!”

“There’s nothing you can do,” Kate said bluntly.

Irina was a bit softer, she put a hand on my shoulder, “You’re only human, Bella.” And both girls were gone.

That was the last straw.

I tore off my necklace, popped off the tiny cap, and poured its contents into my mouth. If the worst were to happen tonight, Edward would see me again. I grabbed Edward’s phone and keys and ran out the door. Already soaked through from the pouring rain, I slid into Edward’s fancy car. I wished I could drive my truck, but it was still being fixed up in Rosalie’s garage. Besides, speed was of the essence here and the truck couldn’t quite get up to where I would need to be. There were far too many buttons that any car should need, but I knew where the important features of the car were located, like heat and windshield wipers and drive. Once I was on the main road, I used Edward’s Bluetooth to call up Jacob.

Jacob picked up on the second ring, “What’s up, man?” His voice was a hushed whisper.

“Jacob! It’s me!”

“Bella?”

“How should I get to the southernmost point of the border on the beach?”

“Running or driving?”

I snorted at the options. Supernatural creatures…“Driving.”

“Um, driving-wise it would be right past the exit to Second Beach Trail. Why?”

“I need you to grab the pack and meet me there as soon as possible.”

He sounded panicked now, “What’s wrong?”

“There is a large group of fresh vampires swimming towards La Push.”

“Holy shit!”

“I know!”

“Okay, okay.” I could tell from the noises in the background that Jacob was already running. “I’ll get the pack, and I’ll stand at the treeline where you’re going to need to stop. It’ll be between the two exits, to tell Edward to look out for me.” He hung up the phone.

I slowed the car significantly when I got close to La Push, grateful for the empty roads so I could turn on my brights. Jacob was right where he said he would be off the side of the road. The brakes on Edward’s car were more sensitive than the ones in the truck, so I accidentally squealed to a stop.

Jacob was speaking the second I was out of the car, “I have everything ready,” I followed him into the woods on a worn dirt trail. “The pack is waiting on the opposite side of the trail. Where’s Edward?”

“He’ll be here.”

Jacob looked at me apprehensively but trusted me enough to lead me down the worn path through the trees towards the beach. The pack was milling about on the beach as if they were having a casual night with friends and not anticipatingly a deadly superhuman army. Once Jacob and I were in view, they all greeted me excitedly.

“Bella!” Embry called, “Coming in hot with a vampire army!”

Everyone but Sam was smiling and high-fiving. I wasn’t sure if they were proud to perform their ancient duty like the Elders before them, or if they just considered this a fun way to kill a Sunday night. Either way, I was grateful.

“Thank you for helping with this, guys,” I looked at the Alpha and nodded in a way that I hoped was respectful, “Sam.”

Paul was at my side, “Of course, Beautiful Swan. It’s our duty to the tribe. We’re just lucky our duty is a super cool fight and not, like, sewing.”

Leah cracked her knuckles, “I’m going to picture each one of those vamps as the idiots in my group project. ‘Where’s your part of the PowerPoint, Kevin!?’” she yelled at an imaginary figure. She grabbed an invisible head and twisted her hands, making a cracking sound with her tongue, “Dead!” The boys around her laughed.

Seth strained his neck towards the woods, “Where’s Emmett and Jasper?”

I waved him off, “They’ll be here.” I turned towards Jake, “Where’s the border?”

Jacob easily broke a branch off of a nearby tree and dragged it across the sand. I planted my feet on the line. “Perfect, we’re going to want the fight perfectly positioned so that it’s close enough to the border that Edward and his family can join the fight when they figure out what happened.”

Jacob balked at my statement, “The Cullens don’t know about this?”

Sam crossed his arms, “Sounds like a trap to me.”

“It’s not! I swear!”

“Then why aren’t they here? Why are they forcing us into a battle that is not ours.”

I sighed impatiently, I had a vague idea on timing from eavesdropping on the family’s conversation earlier, the newborns could be here any minute, or we could already be too late. I took a deep breath and tried to explain the situation as calmly as I could to wolfpack.

“Okay…” Jacob considered as I finished, “I don’t think that will be too much of a problem. Alice will see the newborns go dark when we’re in the picture, and know to come here, right?”

“Exactly!”

Sam was still unconvinced, “I don’t trust it.”

“Sam,” Jake addressed his Alpha with respect, “I should not need to remind you that our duty is to protect people from the threats of the supernatural, regardless of the cause.” Jacob and Sam stared each other down for a few, tense seconds.

When Sam spoke again, his voice was dark and deadly, and cut like a knife, “Team, prepare for an attack.” I breathed a sigh of relief as he began barking orders and assignments for each member of the pack. Slowly, each member disappeared into a different part of the forest, changing their shape in the darkness.

“So, where will you be while we take them down?” Jacob asked. “You can go back in the car or Seth and Leah will probably let you stay at their house with their mom.”

I frowned at that. Apparently, every supernatural creature needed to get knocked down from their high horse. “No, you’re going to need me to lead the newborns towards you guys. Right now, they’re going to be headed east from the coast, and I’m gonna get them to go north.”

“And how exactly are you going to do that?” Jake asked, doubtfully.

“I’m going to make myself bleed on the beach, and the newborns will run towards me, then you guys can attack them!”

“That’s your plan!?” Jacob’s booming voice shook the trees around us.

I played it cool, “Yes.”

“Bella! What the fuck? That’s so, so stupid!”

“No, it’s not! I’ll be fine. Edward and his family give me Vervain, the vampire poison. Jasper said that the newborns will be too bloodthirsty to be able to pick out different scents and try to drink my blood and get sick. From there, it’ll be easy for you and the Cullens to pick them off.”

Jacob put his head in his hands, “Edward is going to kill me.” “

No, he’s not,” I was certain, “He’s going to be so proud that his mate saved the day, he’ll feel nothing but gratitude towards you.”

“If you survive.”

“Jasper was the one who suggested this plan, Jacob. It’s a good plan. Edward was the only one who didn’t want to go with it,” I semi-lied.

“Edward is going to kill me,” Jake repeated.

I positioned myself right on the line. I yanked back the sleeve of my sweatshirt, exposing the skin. I pressed the tip of the wooden stake to the crease of my elbow.

Jacob heard my sharp intake of breath and placed a large hand on my shoulder, “Bella you don’t need to do this. Really.”

I gritted my teeth. I had to help the Cullens. I would no longer be the weight dragging Edward and the rest of the family down. I would not be Edward’s pathetic, human mate. “Yes, I do.” All feelings of hesitation gone, I broke the skin. I dragged the stake down my arm, holding back a cry of pain. I would not show weakness. Not tonight. Tonight I was strong and capable and determined. The blood flowed down my arm. It looked like normal blood to me, but I knew that it was the secret poison that would even the playing field with the newborns. I repeated the action on my other arm.

I still felt Jacob’s presence beside me, but it was time for him to shift. We might already be too late and had no time to waste. I wouldn’t look at him, lest he sees the tears in my eyes and calls off the plan, so I stared straight ahead, down the coastline. “Go,” I said between clenched teeth.

His presence left my side, and I was alone. I gripped my wooden stake in one hand, and my tin of dried Vervain in the other.

Without any indication that my plan had worked, several cold, hard bodies were surrounding me, teeth snapping at my face, my arms. Taking a play from that vampire, James, many months ago, I chucked the contents of my metal tin into the suffocating crowd. The newborns screeched in pain and began clawing at their faces, as Rosalie had on that fateful night. I was able to step back and let the wolves chew up the distracted vampires.

Another vampire came for my face in a blur. Before its teeth could reach my skin, a hulking furry mass took it down into the sand beside me, tearing it apart. I braced for the rest of the newborns, reminding myself that the wolves can take care of me and that Edward would be here soon. Cold hands brushed the hair away from my neck but before it could bite down, a wolf jumped on both of us, sending a crowd of us tumbling into the shallow waters. The wolf dragged the vampire off of my body and began tearing it to shreds. Too soon, another vampire replaced it, only to be torn away from me once more. I felt the stone-like tongue of another vampire lapping up the blood on my arm. This one fell away on its own, screaming in pain.

There were too many, I realized with a start. I was surrounded by cool, hard bodies desperate for my blood. I stabbed at several vampires with my wooden stake, but that was only a minor distraction since I couldn’t quite find the right angle to stab at their hearts.

Two cold hands gripped my left arm painfully. A wolf bit down on the vampire’s neck and pulled it away, but my arm was still in the vampire’s steel grasp. I heard a crack from my shoulder as it popped out of place and felt the intense pain that followed. I cried out.

A newborn vampire swooped in and pushed my face to the side into the muddy sand to expose my neck towards it. It bit down and began to drink. I stayed still, knowing this was my job in the fight. After what felt like ages, the vampire eventually broke away from me, screaming from the fire burning its throat.

Another vampire took its place, but before it started to drink, a large set of boots appeared in the water beside my head and kicked my attacker away. Cool, solid arms lifted me out of the hysteria. I sputtered and coughed up the sand and ocean water. The arms that pulled me out of the swarm of newborns were strong and sure, unlike the ravenous flails of the newborns I had just been subjected to. I looked up, grateful for whichever of my vampires finally saved me, but the face was unfamiliar. Horrified, I attempted the twist out of their grasp but he clutched me closer to his chest. His finger trailed tenderly along my cheek, “Won’t Aro be pleased to see you, sweetheart.”

Before I could make any sense of his words, an electric shock jolted through my body. I screamed out in pain. The vampire who held me captive howled out in pain as well and released me. I tumbled out of his grasp and splashed into the water. The gashes on my arm stung from the salt of the ocean water. Kate stood over him, her hand raised. A spark of electricity danced across her fingers. She never looked more beautiful, or more deadly. Terror seized me, and I had to remind myself that this was the face of a friend, a savior. Her beautiful face was briefly apologetic when she spotted me in the water. The vampire took the opportunity to rise from the sand and hurl Kate into the deeper water. He dove into the waves after her, to presumably finish the job.

The strong, noble cry to the wolves to help came out as a helpless whimper. I let myself go limp in the wet sand. The cool ocean water lapping over me was almost nice. If my arms weren’t stinging in pain, or my shoulder wasn’t crying out in agony, or my entire body wasn’t still tingling from Kate’s shock, it would have been peaceful, here in the water. I let myself drift away from the sounds of the fight, deeper into the calming waters. Edward’s frenzied scream was the last thing I heard before the darkness took over.


	37. The Battle Pt3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the delay. My computer broke while I was up in Michigan quarantining for Christmas, so I was stuck without one for a while. But, we are back in this new year, and here are the three chapters I was unable to post. Please enjoy!

**B-POV**

When I regained consciousness, I was hacking up saltwater. The slashes on my arms stung, my shoulder was throbbing, and my chest ached, making it difficult to breathe. Every inch of me was caked in wet, itchy sand. The gentle stroke of a cool thumb on my cheek was the only thing I felt that wasn’t awful.

“Good girl, good girl,” I looked up to see Edward’s perfect face hovering above mine, not bothering to hide his distress behind a calm facade.

“Edward,” I reached up for him, but his hands prevented the movement.

“Don’t move your arm, sweetheart,” he practically whimpered, “You’ve dislocated your shoulder.”

Edward’s arm suddenly flashed out in front of him as he caught a newborn by the throat. A deadly growl cut through the air, louder than the crack from the vampire’s neck as he crushed it. He tossed the vampire into the sand.

“You’re safe now,” he murmured on a breath of air. I looked into his eyes and saw his raw emotions stirring in their molten depths, “I have you.” His grip secured me.

“No, no!” I protested, “I’m helping!”

His jaw tightened and held me closer. Without responding, he took off. The forest flew past in a green and black blur, some areas lighter than others, and always the wind whistled in my ears. The sounds and sights so pleasant after the deafening growls and deadly white flashes, that it comforted me while I drifted towards sleep. Exhaustion was dragging me under swiftly now, one limb at a time.

When I awoke, I was lying flat on my back in a room I had never seen before. It was bright, white, and sterile - almost like a hospital room. There was an uncomfortable tugging on my left arm. With a groan, I looked up to see what caused the discomfort and saw Edward’s head bent over my arm, stitching me up.

After a soft apology, he put down his needle and held up a syringe filled with a clear liquid. “Morphine,” He explained quietly, “It’ll help you sleep until I finish up.”

He injected the substance into my upper arm and kissed the spot above the shot. I felt my eyelids droop and the world faded away once more.

The next time I awoke, I was settled in a large bathtub filled with shallow water that only covered my legs. Edward was behind me outside of the tub, gently massaging shampoo into my scalp. It was heaven. A moan of pure pleasure escaped my lips. I wanted to reach behind me to pull his lips to mine in gratitude, but my condition prevented the action. One of my arms was in a sling, while the other was sandwiched between an ice pack and a pillow perched along the edge of the tub. Both were covered in rubber gloves that reached up to my elbow.

Neither of us spoke while he worked. I was strangely nervous; I had no idea what held his tongue. Gently, his arm guided me until I was sitting upright, and he used a detachable shower hose to rinse out my hair. When he finished, he laid me back down, combed through my wet hair, then took a towel to it. After my hair was patted dry, he took a few strands along the top of my head and plaited them so they were out of my face. By the soothing nature of his touch, I was lulled back to sleep before he finished the braid.

I awoke once more for what I hoped would be the last time; I was tired of drifting in and out of sleep. It was still dark outside, so I assumed I wasn’t out for very long. My left arm was still in a sling, but the rubber gloves were gone. The gashes along my arms were stitched up neatly. My body was sore and tired, I nestled gratefully into Edward’s cool embrace beside me in our bed. He adjusted himself so I could snuggle up a bit closer.

“Did we do it?” I sighed into his armpit. It smelled very Edward in here: citrus and vanilla. I inhaled greedily. “Did we win?”

“How could you?” He spoke so quietly, I wasn’t sure I heard him correctly.

I couldn’t quite make out his expression in the darkness, “What?”

In one of his incredibly fast movements, he was out of bed and looming over me. He was facing the window now, and I could see his beautiful face washed in moonlight. “I begged you to stay in the house.”

“I was trying to help,” I explained, meekly.

“I could have lost you, Bella!” His temper broke, forcing me to stare at the wildfire of hurt blazing across his face. But just as quickly, the flames burned out, leaving nothing but ash. His lips shook, and I felt hollow inside. I had wounded him; sliced his softest parts. “I could have lost you, Bella. How could you do that to me? How could you put me through that?”

I opened my mouth to speak, but the pain in my chest wouldn’t let me.

He sighed - but not the happy sound he gave when I told him I loved him, or the amused hum when I’d made him laugh. It was harsh, brash, loud in the foreign silence strained between us.

“I don’t want to say anything to you that I’ll regret.” He turned towards the window, not turning back when I whispered his name. “I’ll be back,” he said into the night air. Gracefully, he hopped outside onto the roof of the house and turned to shut the window behind him.

And he was gone.

I curled into a ball and buried my face into the soft blanket he must have covered me with. I wanted to run after him, but I couldn’t, because I didn’t deserve to. Instead, I stayed in bed and watched the pale strips of dawn stretch across the ceiling. Eventually, Carlisle carefully entered the room, “Edward asked me to check on your stitches.” I bolted upright, suddenly relieved, “Edward’s here?”

Carlisle shook his head sadly, “He ran into me on his way out and asked me to check in a few hours.”

I slumped back against the pillows.

Carlisle sat beside me on the bed, “Your stitches?” he asked.

I held out my better arm for him to expect. He scooted closer on the bed to peer into the sling to check my second set.

He smiled softly to himself, “They look perfect. Are you in any pain? Would you like some medicine?”

I felt nothing but pain, but it wasn’t the sort of pain medicine would be able to fix. I shook my head.

Carlisle pursed his lips but nodded his head and rose from the bed. “Esme’s down in the kitchen, preparing you some breakfast,” the thought of Esme’s embrace comforted me immensely, “She’ll be up here in ten minutes.”

He walked out of the room at a human pace but dashed down the stairs.

I was too impatient to wait for Esme, so I swung my legs over the bed to head down to her.

Esme gasped in surprise when she saw me at the kitchen door, tears streaming freely down my face. “Honey!” she cried, “You should be in bed!” She had me in her arms and then I was snuggled against her in the breakfast nook in an instant.

I stuck my face into her hair, “He’s so mad. I’ve never seen him so mad.”

She rubbed my back with gentle pats, “Shhh, shh darling, it’s okay. He’s not mad. You only scared him, that’s all.” She continued to hold me together while my sobs threatened to tear me apart.

A loud banging on the back door demanded our attention. A dark figure was standing on their back deck behind the glass, who I quickly recognized as Sam. Carlisle appeared and invited him inside, but Sam shook his head and remained in the doorway.

His face was stoic, but his voice was cruel. “One of your own broke the treaty last night.”

“I deeply apologize for that, but you must understand the circumstances. Edward only meant to rescue his love. Surely, the single offensive can be forgiven.”

I felt a blush creep onto my cheeks. Edward had crossed the line to retrieve me.

Sam’s expression didn’t change, “The circumstances are exactly why I have made this decision. Because of you, my pack had to put themselves in danger last night. They were outnumbered, unprepared. Any one of them could have been taken from their families.

“There is nothing in the Treaty that says I have to do this, so _you_ can understand I’m giving you a warning out of the kindness of my heart. The next time one of my wolves sees any vampire, they have been instructed to attack and kill it.”

Carlisle was momentarily stunned but quickly composed himself, “I understand. Thank you for the warning. I will pass this information on to my family. Have a good day.”

Sam grunted in response and disappeared into the trees.

I cringed back into Esme’s embrace. Carlisle gave her a meaningful look.

Esme stood, “Bella, pet, I’ll be right back.” Suddenly, there was a fully cooked breakfast in front of me. “Eat,” she kindly instructed.

I stared at the breakfast of pancakes, bacon, and eggs. Next to the steaming cup of coffee was a new tin of dried Vervain. I stirred some into the drink and pocketed the rest. Before I could take a sip, there was a glass-shattering scream and the kitchen door flew off of its hinges. “

YOU!” Tanya, beautiful and deadly, snarled in front of me. I could do nothing but stare, like a rabbit locked onto the eyes of a snake. “Because of you, the Cullens have angered the most powerful coven in the world! The creatures they once could have considered their allies have been forced to turn against them! You’ve damned them all, Isabella Swan!” she spat my name like it was a curse. “You will kill them all, _just like you’ve killed my sister_!”

Tanya lunged at me, but something stopped her. Emmett had appeared between us, blocking her attack. Then, Tanya was in Esme’s arms, shaking with tearless sobs.

Esme stroked her hair and spoke kind reassurances as she guided Tanya back out of the room, “It’s alright dear, we don’t know that Kate’s dead. Alice is already looking for her. It’s okay…”

Emmett gave me a weary look. It was one of the first times I had seen his face without a smile.

“How bad is it?” I asked.

“Not bad at all, kid,” he pinched my chin, but his heart wasn’t in it, “When we got to the beach, Edward immediately went to save you. Alice got taken down quickly because the wolves prevented her visions, so Jasper was useless… I was holding my own pretty well, but it was tough to fight so close to the border; those little bastards got a couple of good snaps on me while I repositioned myself, but it was nothing Rosie couldn’t fix. When Carlisle got his arm torn off, that was more than enough for poor Esme, so he had to take her out of there. By the time the newborns were all destroyed, Aro’s bitches were further into La Push and we couldn’t get to them anymore. The wolves followed after them and Eleazar suggested we come back here to recuperate and reassess.”

“I ruined everything.”

Emmett softly tugged my braid, “Hey. The wolves helped,” he smiled to himself as he prepared to tell a joke, “Good idea, terrible execution.”

He meant for it to be funny, but the words clawed at my heart.

“Kate?” I squeaked.

He frowned, “Hasn’t returned yet. But she’s a powerful vampire. She’s probably still hyped up from the fight, two states over, kicking any ass she crosses.”

“She saved me,” I told Emmett, “The vampire she saved me from threw her into the ocean.”

He smiled, “Sounds like an excellent place to start looking. Thanks for the tip, Bells.”

I tried to explain to him that it wasn’t a _tip_. It was a confession. Another catastrophe that I had wrought onto another family.

Instead of listening to me, Emmett tilted his head slightly towards the living room. “Rosie needs me now,” and he was gone.

I sat still at the breakfast nook, unmoving. I could not bear the thought of Edward coming home, love and forgiveness plastered on his face because I was his mate, and he had to love his mate. There was no way he could still want to love me, not after all I have done. Not after how badly he was broken. Not only had I hurt him, but I endangered those that he chose to love. His family was torn apart by newborns. The wolves were no longer allies. Kate was gone. Everything was falling apart. No, that wasn’t it. I was tearing everything apart. I was the sole cause of all of the destruction.

I stumbled out the back door and towards Rosalie’s garage. I had no idea where I wanted to go, or how long I would be there. All I knew is that I needed to drive. Last week, Rosalie had explained to me that the work left on the truck was purely cosmetic, luckily things didn’t have to be pretty to work. I knew that too well. I spotted my keys hanging neatly from a hook on a pegboard. I snatched them and ungracefully heaved myself up into my truck. My sling was on my left arm, so I could still control the stick shift with my right. Using most of my body weight, I shoved the truck into drive and putted my way up the driveway. I knew all of my vampires could hear my departure and I wasn’t surprised none of them tried to stop me. They were all probably all relieved to be rid of the plague, if only for a while.

Following my first instinct, I guided the truck onto the main highway towards campus. I wasn’t in any condition to go to class, but Jessica and Angela would have watermelon vodka in their dorm if nothing else. After only ten minutes of driving at fifty miles-per-hour, the truck whined and wheezed in protest. It coughed loudly and we were quickly losing speed. I coaxed the truck towards the side of the road where it sputtered to a stop. Somehow, it felt fitting. I could add the death of my truck to my ever-growing list.

Helpless and useless, I slumped down in my seat. As freshman, Jessica and Angela didn’t have a car on campus to come to pick me up. My boyfriend was rightfully furious with me, as was his family. I had one option left. I pulled out my phone and called my best friend, hoping for a miracle.

“Bella?” Jake’s voice sounded strangled. He was probably mad at me, too. I had tricked him and put his own pack in danger for my own selfish ambitions. And now, he was held by his Tribal Law to kill his new friends. Hopefully, I was pitiful enough that he would help me one last time.

“Jacob,” I cried into the phone, “I am so sorry. The truck broke down. I need help.”

There were a few voices murmuring in the background, I wondered if it was safe for me to even be calling. It might be best to let him know he was in no danger of running into a Cullen, “Edward’s gone, Jake. Neither he nor his family are going to look for me. Please, Jake. I need you.”

“I’ll come.” He didn’t sound pleased. I swallowed down the bile in my throat. I described where the truck had stalled and he hung up the phone without a goodbye.

I curled up on the bench of the truck and waited for his arrival. To my surprise, it was Paul knocking on the truck window thirty minutes later.

“Hey Bella, Jake sent me,” he greeted, opening the door for me. No nickname? Truly, no one wanted me now.

My attempt at a smile was pathetic and short-lived as I ducked into his car. The drive to the Reservation was awkwardly quiet, and Paul’s disdain over the situation was tangible. Once in La Push, Paul parked the car in front of a large building I didn’t recognize. It wasn’t Billy or Sam’s house; it looked more like an elementary school or a public rec center.

“Where did you take me?” I asked when Paul opened my door.

Paul pulled me out of the car by my good arm. “I am so sorry about this, Bella.”

He led me into an old gym. Three men stood in the middle of the room, commanding and regal. Their demon-red eyes were the only color on them; their skin and hair pale white with varying black ensembles. The one in the middle was expertly dressed in a striking black suit. The one on his right was classically dressed as a vampire: long, blonde hair and a black, hooded cape; the one to his left was wearing the traditional thwab and gutra of Saudi Arabian culture. Along the perimeter of the room, was the pack and some of the members of the tribe I didn’t recognize, each accompanied by a cloaked figure. My heart sank. Not accompanied by; being held hostage by.

“Isabella Marie Swan,” the one in the middle clapped his hands together, “What a delight it is to finally meet you. My name is Aro, and these are my brothers, Caius and Marcus,” he gestured to his right and then his left.

The two men bowed their heads respectfully, “Isabella.”

Paul marched me towards Aro in the center of the room. Once we were there, one of the hooded figures grabbed Paul’s arm and dragged him to where the rest of the pack was being held.

Aro smiled pleasantly. His skin stretched across the bones of his face like a tortured body. “Oh, Isabella, what a joy you are to me. Without your help, I would have never discovered this lovely pack of werewolves, and the children adore them.” I followed his gaze to two blonde-haired thirteen-year-olds grinning and petting two of the werewolves in their wolf form, possibly Seth and Leah. One of the wolves attempted to walk away, but the boy simply smiled and the wolf fell completely limp onto the floor by his feet. I gasped in horror, but the boy went right back to scratching the wolf’s ears as if nothing was wrong.

“And not only that my dear, but you did me the kindest favor by removing yourself from your love’s watchful eyes.” He pinched a stray lock of hair from my shoulder and tucked it back into Edward’s braid, “and then you walked away and called us to pick you up! What a treasure you are!” He laughed along with his two brothers.

“Now, my angel, let’s see what you can tell us about our favorite coven.” Aro took my hand. His serene smile twisted into an ugly frown. Almost roughly, he released my hand. He didn’t break eye contact as he spoke through his teeth, “Kill her.”

A large figure loomed behind me.

Across the room, Jacob struggled against his captor, “No!” he cried.

I felt cold fingers on my neck, but Marcus shooed the hand away, “Aro! What on Earth?”

The venom did not leave Aro’s stare as his blood-red eyes bore into mine, “I cannot read her, Marcus.”

Marcus sighed heavily, “Brother, I do not see how this is an issue, as a vampire she will be—”

“A threat!” Aro finished angrily, “If this little bitch can allude my powers now as a mere human, imagine what she could become as a vampire. We cannot risk it; we will come up with another plan. Now, kill her.”

The hand was back on my neck, but the other brother, Casius, now interceded, “Aro, we can continue with our plan and keep her human.”

Aro looked at me doubtfully, “We cannot keep her hidden from Edward as a human; he won’t want her back if she’s worn and gray.”

“Yes, but brother, you said yourself how much the telepath cares for this creature.” Casius held up a finger, “And if we keep her weak and vulnerable, that will only make her love all the more desperate for her safe return. I’ll bet we only have to hide her for a year or two before he is absolutely mad with worry,” he chuckled darkly.

Aro considered that with a frown, “I guess that would speed things up considerably.”

Marcus put his hand on his brother’s shoulder, “Think of all the things you could do to a human that you could not do with a vampire. Imagine his ire when you simply remember these things in his presence.”

Now Aro smiled, “We could get him to kill that loathsome leader and those ingrates himself. Ha!” He lovingly placed his hands on his brothers' arms, “How I adore you two, you keep me level.”

Casius bowed his head, “Of course, brother.”

Aro adoringly touched my cheek, “Such a treasure.” He moved his hand to my waist and tucked me into his side. “Jane, Alec, pick a dog, and let’s go.”

Sam growled and stepped in front of Aro, “That was not a part of the deal.”

But Aro was only amused at Sam’s aggression, “Jane, dear. Could you help Papa?”

Before my incredulous eyes, Sam was screaming out in agony. He fell to the floor, violently shaking. Screams filled the room around me, but no one was able to assist their Alpha. Sam’s tremors exploded into a furry beast, his clothes tore away from his transforming body. A wolf now lay in the spot where Sam was seconds ago.

The smile had not left Aro’s face, “Why, look, Jane! Your gift can cause enough pain to force a werewolf to turn! Isn’t it fun to learn?”

“Yes, Papa,” the children responded in unison.

Aro gestured at Sam and began to speak, but Jacob interrupted, “No! I’ll go with you.”

“Jake…” I started, but Aro pressed his thumb to my lips.

“And what would inspire such a noble sacrifice?” Aro asked while brushing my lips, “Love?”

Jacob’s expression was fierce, his eyes blazing. “You and your coven will sign a Treaty with my Alpha and never come here again.”

Aro scoffed, “It’s not worth all of that for a pet for the children; I can pick one up on the way home.”

Jacob smiled, “Yeah, but nothing at Petco is going to block the psychic’s visions.” That caught the attention of the three brothers. Jacob continued, “The Cullen’s psychic cannot see the future if a werewolf is involved in the decision behind it. Keep Bella by my side, and she will be completely hidden.”

Aro looked doubtful.

Jacob held out his hand, “If you don’t trust me, see for yourself.” Aro took Jake’s hand and was lost in time for a moment.

When he returned to the present, he smiled maliciously, “Done.”

Per Aro’s instruction, Marcus stayed behind with three guards to iron out the details of Jacob’s deal with Sam. Aro and the two kids pulled out black umbrellas and Caius pulled up his hood to protect themselves from the sunlight. Jacob and I were shoved into the backseat of a sleek car, and after a short drive at breakneck speed were marched onto a private jet. Aro kept his arm around my waist throughout the duration of the trip.

I wouldn’t allow myself to picture Edward’s face when he arrived home to find me missing, or his agonized screams as he scoured the Earth, only to find nothing. Even though it was for the best to give me up after all that I’ve done to him and his family, no logic would matter to Edward. Because to his poor, misguided heart, his mate was everything to him, including his greatest weakness. After his fruitless search, these beastly brothers would ask for horrific deeds for my safe return. And, blinded with love, Edward would be forced to perform them.

What had I done?


	38. Cave Dweller

**E-POV**

I lay motionless on the stone floor of a cave deep in the mountains.

I wish I could claim that it was the sun that prevented me from running to my beloved’s side, begging for forgiveness. Unfortunately, it was my own pigheadedness that trapped me here in the dark. Because as remorseful I was for my actions, I was equally furious. Bella had ignored my pleas and ran head-first into danger. In my current state of mind, any apology on my end would be tainted with resentment.

With a bone-numbing chill, I remembered the fear that seized me last night when I saw her limp, little body floating in the waves. How all the color drained from the world around me when her heartbeat—the music that gave me purpose—stopped. The horrors did not end after the cardiopulmonary resuscitation was a success, for my love was still broken, still bleeding. I felt the sting in my own arms as I stitched her up, felt the ache in my own shoulder as I relocated hers and placed her fragile arm in a sling. It was torture I could never endure again. And I was furious that I had to survive through such pain.

After hours of continuously switching between fury and self-loathing, my sister’s thoughts entered my range. I ignored them as best as I could. Pestering and loud, she repeatedly called my name as she approached.

“Edward?” Rosalie spoke out loud when she realized I wasn’t going to respond to her thoughts.

“Anything you have to think about me, I’m already thinking about myself. Please leave me alone.”

Instead, she sunk to the floor of the cave, sitting cross-legged beside me, “Someone has to talk some sense into you. Since Alice is frantically searching the future and Esme is consoling two Denali sisters, you’re stuck with me.”

“Joy,” I muttered.

“No one blames you for ditching us, you know,” she commented after several uncomfortable minutes of silence.

Right. Not only had the love of my life been massacred, but I had left my family on the front lines of a battle without my aid.

“They do blame you for breaking the treaty,” she continued despite my silence, “But, everyone understands why you had to.”

“Rosalie, are you here to say anything constructive?”

“The blame for Kate’s disappearance is in the air. Some blame you, and I’m sure you know which ones.”

That would be a no. I hid my face in my hands, willing my sister to disappear.

“How is she?” I whispered when I was brave enough to hear the answer.

_She left this morning. Her truck broke down on her way to god-knows-where and she called the wolves to pick her up. She’s been in La Push ever since._

I dragged my fingers down my face, “I shouldn’t be surprised, I guess. At least I didn’t bother to waste any time begging her to stay in the house this time.” The malice in my voice was the exact reason why I left our bedroom this morning. I swallowed my anger and tried again, “When will she be back?”

For the first time in our relationship, Rosalie was grateful for my gift—she did not want to say this out loud, _I don’t know if Bella will be coming back._

Her ridiculous assumption fanned my fury, “You think she would leave me for yelling at her once? How many times have you given your husband a piece of your mind? And Emmett sticks around no matter how much of a bitch you are.”

She hardened her tone to match mine, “It’s not just that, jackass.”

“What, then? Do you think I should have let her come to the fight?” I seethed, “Should I have sliced her up myself, as well? Arranged her on a pretty board like fucking charcuterie?”

“No, but I do think she would have stayed put if she didn’t feel like she had something to prove, Edward.”

“She has nothing to prove,” I growled.

Rose was quickly losing patience with this conversation, “I know that, and you know that, but she certainly does not, you idiot.”

Rosalie was certainly doing her job at making me feel better. All of the frustration I felt towards myself was quickly transformed into anger at her. I bolted upright so I could glare at my sister with the proper ire, “She knows I love her. She knows there is nothing that could make me love her less!”

“She does know that,” Rosalie agreed, “But because of your sick interpretation of love, you’ve made her feel like such a burden she would do anything to prove she’s more than your worthless mate.”

“Leave. Now.” I said through my teeth.

But Rosalie continued with her lecture, “You treat her like a child! No! Actually, you don’t even give her that much respect! You treat her like one of those toy poodles ladies stuff in little dresses and carry around in a purse.”

“You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Bella is brave and smart and capable—”

“I know!” I yelled back, “I love her for every single one of those things, Rose!”

“You sure don’t act like it!” Rose argued, “What did you say when Emmett thanked her for saving my life that night?” She did a perfect imitation of my voice “’ We are not encouraging this.’ Did you even thank her for saving your life at the vineyard? No! You lectured her on how unsafe it was.”

“Everything I do is to keep Bella safe!”

“Shut up for one time in your god damn life and listen to me! You’re hurting her!”

Rosalie might as well have staked me through the heart. I calmed myself enough to let her continue.

_Now, bear in mind that I only know this information because_ you _had me stalking her around campus. None of us had any right to know any of this._

She showed me a memory from Friday night when Bella was drinking with her friends. Unable to help herself, Rosalie started the memory from where she was hiding in the woods, listing insults for me in alphabetical order while Bella’s friends were prattling on about their boyfriends. When Rose got to the M’s, Bella’s friends congratulated her on her relationship, which—to my horror—Bella admitted wasn’t as perfect as it seemed.

My darling’s voice sounded so hurt, so lost as she explained the reasoning to her friends, _“I know he loves me, and I’m scared he thinks he’s simply supposed to at this point. I don’t think I bring him any joy anymore.”_

My dead heart somehow grew colder. Not bring me joy? She was the source of joy in my life. Without her, I could never attain true happiness. How could she come to this conclusion? “Rosalie,” I choked out, “How could she—"

Rosalie spoke like she was talking to an illiterate child, “When you coddle her, you make her feel inferior. And because she sees herself as inferior to you, she can’t see why you would love her. She doesn’t understand what it means to be your mate, Edward. She thinks that it’s vampire magic that binds her to you against your will.”

I could barely get the words out, “How do—”

Rosalie interrupted me by showing me a different memory. Bella was sitting on our bed, her beautiful face was red and stained with tears. My arms ached to reach out and console her, even as a figment of the past.

_“I never thought about it like that before,”_ my love muttered, mostly to herself.

_“Thought about what?”_ Rosalie remembered asking.

_“That Edward’s forced to love me.”_

“No,” I begged Bella as if she could hear me, “No, no, no, no, no!”

Rosalie played the entire conversation for me. She, Alice, and Emmett tried to explain to Bella what she meant to me. Even through Rosalie’s eyes, I could see that she did not believe them. I recalled how tightly she clung to me that night. At the time, I assumed she simply missed me in our brief time apart, just as I missed her. Now I realize she clung to me in desperation. My misconstrued actions and Tanya’s harsh words that day had tricked Bella into believing that my deep, undying love for her was not only falsely manufactured, but unwanted as well.

“Oh god!” I cried, pulling at my hair, “What have I done?”

Curling into myself, I recalled with opened eyes and perfect clarity each and every moment I forced Bella into her current state. The actions I had once considered kind and loving had become cruel and demeaning. Rosalie watched my breakdown silently, occasionally running her hand through my hair. I hurt Bella. She was silently suffering at my side for weeks, and I had no idea.

“I’m sorry for snapping at you, Rose,” I apologized when I calmed down enough to speak coherently, “You were only trying to help.”

She sighed, “It’s fine. I should know how much of a diva you are by now. I shouldn’t have egged you on; I’m sorry, too.”

“What do I do know?” I whispered hopelessly into the darkness.

Rosalie’s answer was surprisingly tender, “First of all, you give her the space she needs. She’s hurting, and you are going to let her heal how she wants to heal, understand?”

I nodded.

“You are going to leave her alone until she is ready to contact you.”

“What if she never does?”

“She will, Edward. She loves you, too,” she regarded my worried expression sympathetically and added, “How about you give her two weeks? In two weeks, if she does not call you, you can call her.”

I nodded. Two weeks. They would feel like an eternity in Dante’s inferno, but I would endure worse for Bella’s wellbeing.

“Then, you two are going to openly discuss what happened. You will both apologize and reconcile. Finally, you will always ask her what her reactions mean because you are too daft to figure out any of it out on your own.”

I blew out a puff of air.

“It’s true, Edward. You rely too heavily on your gift. It’s gotten so bad that you’re basically blind without it.”

I was miffed. “I can figure out basic body language without reading thoughts, Rose, I’m not that helpless.”

“Please,” she snorted, “Alice had to tell you you had fallen in love with Bella. You couldn’t read into your own damn actions.”

I didn’t have a response to that. She was right.

“Edward, because you can read our thoughts, you know what we think of your actions immediately, so you can adjust until we’re pleased. You don’t have that luxury with Bella. So, because she didn’t say anything out loud, you thought everything you were doing was fine when it wasn’t.”

“Okay, okay. You’re right. I will make it a priority to ask Bella how she’s feeling.”

She nodded in approval, “Good.” She stroked my hair one more time, “Everything is going to be fine, little brother.”

I hoped she was right. “Thank you.”

She stood abruptly and wiped the soot from the cave off of her jeans, “Now that your head is out of your ass, you can help us with our other problem. Carlisle and Esme have been back from work for a few hours, Alice promised she’s watching for you to come home and they will stop their search for Kate and meet us. Everyone is waiting for you to come back before we make any big decisions.”

I rose with her, “Of course they are. The family never gets anything done without the golden child around.”

That comment earned me a punch to the gut, which I allowed Rose to land.

Without another word, she disappeared into the trees. I dashed after her and quickly caught up to her.

Rosalie was right—the house was brimming with vampires when we returned. They were all seated around the living room, ready to discuss the next steps.

I sat at the dining table next to my father. He greeted me warmly, his thoughts free of judgment on my little tantrum. He went right to business, “Esme and I took off from work for the next two weeks. We were waiting for you before we started our search for Aro’s coven. We’re going to counter their attack.”

It was rare that somebody other than Bella surprised me, but I felt my mouth fall open, “You want to fight them?”

He nodded, looking over the living room at his family, “They have shown time after time that they had no interest in coming to a peaceful agreement, and I should have seen that earlier.” _I’m sorry, son._

“Please do not apologize for choosing to see the best in people. I wish I could see the world how you do.”

Carlisle tapped my forehead, _I wonder what’s stopping you_ , he teased.

“We’re really going after them?” I confirmed, hungry for vengeance on the twisted brothers that endangered my family.

Carlisle grinned, “We already have a plan!”

Eleazar shook his head, “ _Plan_ is a very strong word. We have a hint of a plan, a wisp of a plan. It’s hardly an idea.”

I encouraged him to continue.

“Aro and his brothers think of themselves as kings. And just like the kings before them, they will celebrate their victory in battle with a lavish ball, including a grand feast to conclude the evening.”

“They were really quite fabulous,” Carmen interjected. My sisters and mother were internally drooling at the idea of attending a ball; Alice already had half of one planned out before Carmen finished her statement.

Eleazar continued, “As we speak, Aro and his coven are preparing for this feast. They will not be feeding until Aro commands them to drink.”

“So, if we attack them before they feast, they will be weak with hunger?” Jasper confirmed.

The couple nodded, “Exactly.”

“But we don’t know where they are.” Esme looked at Carmen for confirmation.

Carmen shook her head while Eleazar said, “Victoria and Heidi saw us. Any moment now, Aro will know we’ve betrayed him if he hadn’t figured it out already. Those assholes have almost unlimited resources and incredible connections. They could be taking refuge anywhere. The desert. The tundra. The moon!”

Carmen frowned at Esme, “We can check all of the hideouts we know of, but I’m sure our Masters would have acquired a new one.”

Eleazar grunted, “If they didn’t already own multiple secret ones. How long had they owned Luna Vineyard before they told the rest of us?”

Carmen sighed, “Almost thirty years.”

My family looked at each other doubtfully.

“With Alice and Edward, they cannot hide for long,” Carlisle encouraged.

Alice nodded, “I already see that bitch, Heidi, getting on a plane to Vancouver.”

“Language,” Esme scolded at the same time Eleazar shook his head in awe, “Absolutely incredible.”

Emmett clapped his hands, “So let’s go on down to Vancouver then, get this bitc—lady—and figure out the rest.”

“We need a plan of attack, Em,” Jasper disagreed. Jasper was the rational one of us—where Emmett and I would dive head-first into an attack, Jasper took his time researching and patiently waited for results. And when he got those results, he rarely failed.

Emmett draped himself on the couch so he nearly took up the entire thing, “No we don’t! Bill Murrey didn’t need a plan to woo Andy McDowell! He just followed his heart that one day and it worked.”

Jasper closed his eyes, “I don’t know how to explain to you that _Groundhog’s Day_ isn’t relevant to this situation.”

“Jasper’s right, Em,” I said, “We went to battle a bunch of newborns without a plan and lost. They have an equal number of skilled vampires in their coven, itching to take us down.”

_We would have won by fighting, but Bella went and fucked it up_ , Emmett thought before he caught himself. _Whoops, sorry, Bella._

Which reminded me. “Bella?” I asked Alice.

“Still with the wolves,” Alice showed me her dark vision as proof. I frowned.

Jasper lumbered forward, “I followed her when she drove off, she felt absolutely miserable. When her truck broke down and she called Jacob instead of any of us, I figured she wanted some space from us and decided that she deserved to have that space.”

I swallowed hard and clapped my brother on the shoulder, “Thank you, man.” He nodded back. I recalled Rosalie’s instructions; Bella deserved some time to recuperate in any way she wanted.

“Kate?” Jasper shook his head, “Couldn’t find her scent anywhere on the beach. If she left the water, it wasn’t anywhere around here.”

“She’s somewhere dark,” Alice frowned. “That’s all I can get from her…” she showed me this darkness as well.

I rubbed my chin, “Perhaps she’s with the wolves as well?” The idea of Kate being near Bella as well as the wolves was a great comfort. “She was wet, it was raining. Her scent could have easily washed away.”

Carlisle shook his head, “The Treaty is broken, and the wolves have been commanded to kill our kind on sight.”

“Besides, this is a different darkness than the wolf darkness. With the wolves, I simply see nothing. With Kate, I see her, but it’s too dark and empty to figure out her location.”

“Does Aro have her?” I asked.

“It’s possible,” Alice shrugged.

“Bella!” I exclaimed, “What if that’s why Bella is dark to you, too?”

_Are you kidding me?_ Tanya thought before she spoke aloud, “It’s always about her, isn’t it? Our sister—your cousin—is dead and you can only dredge up enough concern for that little brat.”

Tanya was already on my shit-list for speaking the words that put Bella into her current state of confusion that drove her from me. I whirled, furious. My voice was dripping with sarcasm, “Oh, I am so sorry I am more concerned for my _human_ girlfriend than I am for your highly-trained, highly-skilled vampire sister who can produce _fucking_ electricity!”

As I turned my back towards Tanya, Alice’s latest vision stunned me to stillness. Immediately after we were released back into reality, a mental voice chuckled in my head, _Aw Eddie, that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said about me!_

Alice and I found each other’s gaze in the room; she broke out into a bright grin. She flew out of the room, and I soon after. Curious and rightfully confused, the rest of the family had no choice but to follow us into the night as well.

Kate and Alice bounded into an embrace, with a loud crash that shook the trees around them. Kate’s sisters squealed and joined in on the hug. The rest of the family caught up, everyone taking a turn welcoming Kate back home.

When Kate was free from the flurry of kisses, sobs, and relieved giggles, I hugged her tightly. Contrary to Tanya’s opinion, I was extremely worried for my cousin, “Were you waiting in the bushes for a dramatic moment to reveal yourself?”

She laughed, “Nah, but that was pretty slick, wasn’t it?”

“And what about...um…” I pointed my chin towards the direction of the unfamiliar thoughts anxious that Kate was out of their sight.

If blushing were possible for our kind, Kate would have turned bright red at my comment, “Yes,” She held out her hands and addressed the largest part of the group, “I want everyone to start with an open mind.”

There were a few tentative glances and some silent speculations, but the whole family readied themselves for Kate’s news.

She took a deep breath, “Everyone, I would like you all to meet, Garrett.” A tall vampire with bright, red eyes and sandy blonde hair lumbered out of the woods and took Kate in his arms, “My mate.”

Alice and I gasped, as the only ones who had seen this man before. In her visions. Ripping off Esme’s head.

Jasper tensed at his wife’s fear and tucked her behind him. Kate waved her hands as Jasper ducked into a protective crouch, “No, no, no!”

“Garrett!” Eleazar called.

Kate’s mate smiled at the couple from his coven, “Eleazar!” he laughed, “Why am I not surprised to see the two of you fraternizing with the enemy!”

Carmen flashed up and hugged Garrett, Eleazar clapped him on the shoulder, “I could say the same of you.”

Irina and Tanya were motionless, mouths hanging wide open at the sight of their sister in the arms of a male vampire. Unsurprisingly, Tanya was more freaked out by the idea that her sister had mated, than the fact that her mate came into our lives with the intent to kill us.

Irina finally pulled herself together and cleared her throat, “Care to explain how all of this… um...”

Kate took Garrett by the hands and looked up adoringly at her new mate, “It was at the battle. I shocked him, he hurled me into the ocean.”

“Typical boy meets girl,” Rose added sarcastically.

Garrett laughed, and stroked Kate’s cheek with his thumb, “When I dove down to bite her neck, I noticed how absolutely gorgeous she was all riled up.”

Kate giggled like a schoolgirl and playfully batted his hand away, “Please. Your head would have been ripped off before your teeth got anywhere close to my throat.”

We all stared incredulously at the scene before us.

“Where were you?” Alice demanded, still behind her protective husband. “I only saw blackness!”

“Well…” Again, Kate would have been blushing, “We went for a little swim and found an underwater cave. We wanted to find somewhere dark and far that we could… get to know each other.”

I was immediately bombarded with graphic memories from the two of them. “For twenty-six hours?” I exclaimed.

She put her hands on her hips, “Don’t come at me like that. Not after you would invade the sanctity of my own home to—”

I raised my hand to put an end to that conversation, “Alright. Fine. Sorry.”

The hopeless romantic that she was, Esme was already thrilled that her niece found a mate. She took Garrett's hand and shook it, “I guess the only thing left to do now is to invite you into our home. Please, follow me.” She led our new guest to our house where the family reconvened.

Eleazar was all smiles at our newest member, “Welcome to the cause, brother.”

Garrett rubbed his hands together, “Yes, Kate tells me we’re knocking those pompous assholes down a few notches.”

“We’re looking to do a bit more than that,” Eleazar admitted.

“Do tell.” Eleazar and Carmen took turns catching their friend up to current events. Jasper and I were honed in on every thought and feeling coming from the trio, searching for any slip-up that might reveal any nefarious intent. However, neither of us could find anything. It seemed that Garrett was one of the vampires Eleazar and Carmen had searched for with our parents but could not find him at his typical post in the guard. Ironically, he was a part of a search team to find Eleazar and Carmen and drag him back to Aro.

“But, we don’t know where they went,” Carmen concluded, “until we figure that out, any plan we conceive is moot.”

Kate grinned up at her new mate. Garrett returned the expression and bent over to brush his nose against hers before responding, “I know where they are.”

“Still?” Jasper confirmed, “They wouldn’t change locations after you don’t return?”

Garrett nodded. “I took care of that.” The face of the red-headed vampire - Victoria - flashed through his mind, followed by a conversation, an understanding, and Victoria wishing Garrett a fond farewell and a promise that she will take care of Aro so he can live on with his new mate.

“You trust her?” I asked.

“We might not pose as a traditional family in our coven, but we do still care for one another. She will have my back, just as I had hers many times before. If anyone can avoid Aro’s mind-consuming touch, it would be Victoria.”

Carlisle looked at Jasper, then at me for confirmation. Jasper sensed nothing but earnest love and respect from Garrett over his friend, and I could find no fault in his memories. The two of us nodded. Carlisle smiled, allowing himself to settle into the hope that he will be able to save his family from a gruesome end at the hand of this coven. Jasper reveled in Carlisle’s hope and spread some of his own to the rest of the family.

“What are we waiting for?” Emmett cheered, “Let’s go win Andy McDowell’s heart!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Emmett and I both watch Groundhog’s Day earlier this week, clearly.


	39. Planning

**B-POV**

Aro excitedly led me out of the back door of the house. Not a house, I corrected myself, a mansion. Practically a modern-day castle. The second we arrived, Aro insisted on giving me a tour, making sure to point out the tall, brick fence with an iron gate, the seventy-nine-acre property, the individual rooms for the twenty-eight members of his guard—anything to drive home that fact that I was really, truly trapped here.

Down the brick path, through an overly manicured garden, we walked towards a large pavilion. Jake trotted along dutifully beside me, in his wolf form. We were separately briefly when my tour began. When he was brought to Aro by a guard member, he was in his wolf form, with a fancy looking collar around his neck. _A shock collar_ , Aro explained to my horrified expression, _to keep him from phasing._

“Ah, the grand finale of our tour,” Aro said as we stepped into the pavilion. “Isabella, here is where we will be holding our ball to celebrate our victory,” he trailed his hand down a wispy, white curtain, “It’s no great hall, but it will do.”

The hall was as gaudy and ridiculous as Aro itself.

“I know it’s silly, but I like to throw these events for my coven,” he explained while fawning over the décor, “We like to make them as celebratory as possible, so we include a real feast. Our version of a feast, that is. Right now, we are all fasting in preparation. It leads to a more exciting event.”

Aro fiddled with a centerpiece on one of the tables and continued, “And although you will be the guest of honor, my dear, you will have to enjoy the festivities from outside. Not to fret, I already have private rooms arranged for you and the wolf,” he added with a satisfied chuckle. I turned to where he was pointing out the window and saw two vampires putting together a small, wooden doghouse at a human pace, laughing among themselves. I scowled, furious over the disrespect of Jake’s behalf.

Aro pulled me to the back of the space, where a large table had already been set up on a raised platform. “You can relax up until the ball, dear. After that, we’ll start coming up with ways to rile up your beloved.”

At my heels, Jacob growled.

Aro condescendingly scratched between his ears, “Don’t worry boy, I’ll call the children to play.” Aro did just that, and soon the two kids were down, forcing Jacob to play fetch with them by using their abilities to hurt him if he didn’t comply. My eyes stung at the sight.

Aro sat me on his lap, “Oh, Isabella, my mind is buzzing with ideas for what to do with you to enrage the telepath, now that we’ve chosen to keep you human. There’s the obvious torture. Breaking your bones, removing your limbs, starvation. Unfortunately, you humans are so weak, and we could accidentally kill you, and all the work would be for naught...

“Then there’s humiliation,” he mused, “shaving your head, removing your clothes, forcing you into relations with members of my guard. But, all of those things are so overused, they’re downright tacky at this point.

“No, Isabella, I believe you and I could have a lot more fun. My first instinct to stick you into a room so small and dark, you are driven into a madness so consuming, you forget what you even are. When you return to your beloved, you would be so far gone, he would never truly get you back…”

I stared at him in horror. He smiled back down at me and touched my nose, “But we want something a little more fun than that, don’t we? I once watched a silly film with the children where the woman got trapped in this large hourglass. I’m sure I could get one commissioned. Now wouldn’t that be exciting?”

This man was absolutely insane. He went from psychological warfare to getting tips from _Disney’s Aladdin_.

“And when our darling Edward swoops in to save his love, he’ll break the glass and pull you from the sand. I can picture it now, Isabella. A great, tragic love story.” He continued to prattle on about his plans for Edward. Wondering whether or not to send Edward pictures of me, or little vials of my blood. Talking about how incredible it was that Edward couldn’t read my thoughts, so I could truly be unveiled.

“Oh! I am bursting with excitement!” He laughed, “I feel like a young boy awaiting Christmas Day!”

Somewhere on the property, a clocked tolled midnight.

“Ah, time for your beauty sleep, my dear.” Aro stood, forcing me to stand with him. As weary as I was, I couldn’t imagine falling asleep in Aro’s house of horrors.

He pulled me back towards his mansion, “We’ll need to keep you fresh and pretty for Edward’s sake, dear. I worry he won’t fight as hard if you look as weary as you do now.” As we walked, he considered spa appointments and dress fittings to prepare me for my big debut. He spoke like I was about to star in a Broadway production rather than tortured nearly to death. I guessed to Aro, it was a form of entertainment.

He shoved me into my suite for the night, offering me pleasant dreams. Jacob in his wolf form soon followed. The second the door clicked shut, I angrily wrestled with the ridiculous shock collar until I finally yanked it off. With frightening tremors, Jacob transformed back into a human. I pulled the blanket off the bed to wrap around his naked body and hugged him fiercely.

“Jacob,” I whispered against his chest, “Why are you here? Why did you come here with me?”

He cupped my cheek in his large, warm palm, “You heard those bastards, Bella. I wasn’t about to let them take you without any sort of protection.”

“Oh, Jacob.”

He wiped the tears out of my eyes, “Why did they want you so badly? Why you?”

I sniffed, “I’m the bait, Jake. Aro wants Carlisle dead and the rest of the family on his team. If he has me, he can get Edward to make those things happen.”

Jake shook his head in disbelief, “The Cullens aren’t a threat. They don’t do anything!”

“At first, Aro wanted to kill the Cullens for turning their backs on their own kind by feeding from animals and killing other vampires. When Aro caught Edward at the vineyard, Edward was able to see their whole plan. These guys mean to create a coven so powerful, they will be able to make themselves known to humans safely. They want to reshape the structure of the world with vampires on top, reducing humans to nothing more than cattle. Aro made a deal with Edward that if he could convince his family to join and kill Carlisle, he would be spared. Of course, Edward rejected him and then we saved Edward. This is all a part of Aro’s new plan.”

“Fuck,” Jake muttered.

We stayed quiet for a moment, huddled in our embrace.

“Edward’s going to annihilate me when he finds out how many times you’ve seen me naked.” Jake teased, “Don’t think about it around him.”

“He can’t read my mind,” I reminded him, smugly, “it’s all on you, buddy”

“Fuck.”

I giggled, “Don’t worry. When he finds out, I’ll assure him there wasn’t much to see anyway.”

“That’s cold, Bells.”

We readied ourselves for bed, chatting and laughing like a pair of friends at a sleepover, rather than two hostages in a vampire castle. I was thankful for Jake and his ability to warm me in any situation. _My sun._

Jacob fell asleep after a few minutes of silence, but I stayed awake, plotting.

I could not risk the Cullen’s finding me here. In Aro’s grasp, I was nothing more than I sword dangling over Edward’s head. I would have to remove myself from the picture before the Cullen’s could safely come in for the kill. I knew exactly how to do it. I had full range of the house. There was nowhere I could run or hide where thirty-one powerful vampires could not find me. I was no threat. They didn’t search me for the very same reasoning: that I was a harmless human. Well, they were about to be schooled by a harmless human. I toyed with the tin of Vervain, still in the kangaroo pocket of my hoodie.

The next day, Aro kept me by his side the entire day, as he and his party planning committee reviewed the final details of his ball, which would begin promptly at midnight on Wednesday. If there was a chance I would ever see Edward again, I would never refer to him as a drama queen ever again—not after witnessing all of this.

Jake seemed to agree of my assessment of Aro, growling under his wolf-breath. That morning, I reluctantly put the collar back on Jake after neither of us could figure out how to disarm it. For the rest of the day, he lay at my feet, the two of us trapped in meeting after pointless meeting.

I couldn’t believe the lengths Aro went through just for one little party. But—I guessed—if I had unlimited time and countless resources, I would have to fill my time with crap, too.

Just as I was beginning to fear I wouldn’t have a chance to engage my plan before the party, an event Wednesday morning presented me with the perfect opportunity. It had been confirmed that one of their members had fallen during the battle on the beach, and it would take all hands on deck to create a suitable memorial for their fallen brother before the ball that evening.

While the vampires were grieving before their Masters, I headed towards their superfluous kitchen. I snuck down the spiral staircase that led to the wine cellar Aro had pointed out during my tour. Thanks to Edward, I knew that would be where they stored their food source. These pompous assholes treated blood from actual humans like wine. Aro already explained that he and his coven were going to feast, so I knew they were saving the blood for that evening. Naturally, Aro would want his ball to be an event full of reveling and gluttony. It was disgusting when past kings did it and it was disgusting now. I hated this coven.

Down the stairs, I gagged. What I discovered down here matched Edward’s description from a few weeks ago: a corpse lay on a metal table, attached to a contraption that pumped their blood into an empty wine bottle. Next to this bottle, two crates were already filled with bottles of blood. Grimly, I wondered how many humans they used to create these crates of wine. One? Ten? How did these vampires live with themselves?

One at a time, I uncorked a bottle of blood, sprinkled in a bit of Vervain, and recorked it. I repeated the action two dozen more times.

After I was finished, I needed to make my presence down here known. I didn’t want one of the vampires to discover my scent without an explanation, lest it raises suspicion. I needed them unaware of the poisoned blood until the opportune moment.

I dropped to the floor on my hands and knees and began dry heaving loudly.

Slower than I expected for a vampire, one of Aro’s larger guards appeared at the doorway.

“Lost, little human?” He gripped the back of my shirt and lifted me easily, like lifting a kitten by its scruff.

“What is this place?” I sobbed noisily. “What is all this?”

“None of your concern,” he sneered. He took me into a garish private office and threw me down in front of Aro’s mahogany desk.

The guard offered Aro his hand, which Aro readily took.

“Oh, sweet Isabella,” Aro cooed, “Did you stumble upon our little wine cellar? Poor dear.” He pulled me up from the ground and sat me on a stylish guest chair across from where he was sitting, “You know what they say about that pesky cat, my darling. You’ll be better off here with me.”

I watched Aro work, finally at ease. I knew the vampires would be able to smell the Vervain the moment they opened their wine bottles at the party, but I did not expect them to drink that blood tonight. No. This morning, the Vervain was out of my system, making my blood the only safe blood to drink on the premises. After the vampires discovered their precious blood had been sabotaged, I would cut myself, just as I did on the beach. Hungry and weak, they would not be able to resist, and they would kill me. Once I was gone, Jacob could run free, and Edward and his family will be able to take down this coven without fear.

**E-POV**

It took a day-and-a-half and the brainpower of thirteen superhuman minds, but we had the workings of a plan to destroy Aro and his coven. Jasper, Eleazar, Garrett, and Rosalie were mulling over more minor details. Alice and Carlisle were up in his study going over any visions she could catch of the other coven. Emmett was wrestling with the Denali sisters in the basement, promising it was strictly for training purposes and he would not have any fun; the raucous giggles coming from below said otherwise.

Carman and I were sitting at the dining room table, working on a minor—possibly life-saving—project. She would recall the face of one of the members of her coven, and I would sketch it out. This way, before we left, Carman, Garrett, and Eleazar could prep us on each member of the coven, going over their powers, and explaining which ones would sway to our side and should be spared and which members should be killed on site. I felt like a police sketch artist as I produced portrait after portrait. They would look better if Esme drew them, but this method was much faster. She sat beside me, unable to resist adding bits of details and shadowing here or there to enhance the quality.

Forty-eight hours apart from Bella, and I already missed her terribly. I yearned for her soft presence beside me. It felt like her encouraging smiles and warming gaze was the only way I would be strong enough to get through this, but I had to try to do without them, one more time. I could not fetch her. Though the fact clawed at my chest, but I knew this mission had to be my main focus. Only after my world was safe for Bella, I could go and attempt to win back her affection. Until then, I trusted Jacob to keep her safe and to alert me of anything major.

As soon as I finished the last portrait, Carmen began rifling through the stack of paper. “These look excellent Edward, truly.”

I smiled at our newest family member and left Esme and Carmen to review my work.

In the living room, discussions were stagnant and repetitive.

“I don’t see how we will be able to split all of them up,” Jasper said for the sixth time.

“It would be the simplest way for us to save or kill individuals without a messy brawl on our hands,” Eleazar said.

Jasper quirked an eyebrow, “In my experience, these things are never simple.”

“Yes, but in my experience, simplicity and efficiency work best.”

Rose argued on her brother’s behalf, “That’s because your coven would simply and efficiently slaughter anyone who would deter your plan.”

Garrett chuckled, “She has a point.”

Eleazar crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat, “Right now, Aro, Casius, and Marcus are sitting pretty in their extravagant house outside of Windsor. They will have their entire guard made up of thirty-one vampires with them, their most powerful members closest to them. You tell me how our coven of thirteen is going to overwhelm and defeat them.”

“It will be difficult of course, but it can be done,” Jasper considered, “We’ll need to make sure to keep Edward, Alice, and Kate safe as well. They will be the first ones they either kill or capture. We’ll use Emmett, Rose, and Garrett as the first line of defense, but they wouldn’t be able to take on more than two at a time, each. We’d have to slow their responses, somehow.”

“Yes, by splitting up the guard!”

“I don’t see how—”

“Fuck!” Alice screamed from upstairs. “Not now!”

She was at my side in a second, “Why the fuck are they here? They’re not supposed to be here!”

Before I could ask her who, an image of a white flag appeared in my head. I tried to locate the source of the thoughts, but they were a rush of overwhelming scents, survival instincts, and hatred towards myself. Five more various images of white flags popped up in my head before I finally figured out what was happening.

“It’s the wolves,” I announced to my family, “They’re in the woods along the border of our property. It looks like they want to offer up a truce.”

Jasper was immediately suspicious, “A trap?”

“Perhaps.”

Carlisle wasn’t a fan of that assumption. “The wolves would never assault us in such a way,” He said, making his way down the steps at a human pace.

“What should we do?” I asked.

Emmett and the Denali girls clambered up the stairs when they took heed of our conversation.

Rosalie simply shrugged, “I say just leave it. If they have something to say, they can shift and come over here and say it.”

“But I can’t see!” Alice complained, “They need to go away!”

Carlisle placed a comforting hand on his daughter’s shoulder, “We weren’t able to find them anyway, darling.”

“But we were close,” she argued, “I was getting glimpses!”

“Let them come,” Emmett added, “If they want to attack us because of some dumb Treaty, let’s get it over with.” He bolted to the backdoor and shouted into the darkness with all of his might, “Come and get it, boys! I’m a full steak dinner with all the trimmings and none of the salad!”

Rosalie pulled her husband back into the house during his second seductive pose for the wolves, “Now’s not the time.”

One of the wolves showed me a memory of Aro and his two brothers standing in the center of a public recreation center. Aro laughed merrily as Sam shook his hand.

“They’re working with Aro?”

Then, the wolf opening their mind to me remembered cool, hard hands restraining them, horrified at the sight of an unconscious woman dragged into the room. _“Mom!”_ they screamed, _“Mom, please!”_

“No,” I corrected, “They were being threatened by Aro.”

The memory shifted. After a flash of red-hot pain, the faces and names were transformed into scents and the fear for the vampires around them became pure, unadulterated hate as a deeper instinct told them to kill anything with that sickly-sweet smell. I assumed that the person had transformed into their wolf skin. The wolf tried to attack the vampire beside it, but they were suddenly on fire. They tried to skitter out of the flames, but there was nowhere to run. Everything was fire. Everything was pain. After what felt like days of fire, the flames finally dissipated.

Two friendly scents entered the room: another pack member and another human the wolf felt safe with. The human smelled like freesia and lavender and the summer sun.

No.

I was out the backdoor and flying through the trees in an instant. “Where is she?” I screamed towards the source of the memory. “What did they do?”

I ran frantically until I was face-to-face with a sand-colored wolf with Seth Clearwater’s human eyes. He growled at my closeness, beating down the instinct to rip my throat out.

“Turn, you son-of-a-bitch!” I screamed, “Fucking tell me what they did to her!”

Carlisle approached, gingerly tossing a robe in the wolf’s direction. I heard the thoughts of my family members doing the same for the other wolves.

I was shaking, out of what, I wasn’t sure. Fear for my love. Anger at my own idiocy. Impatience at these fucking wolves for not telling me what happened. It felt like I was about to explode. God bless him, Jasper arrived, tampering down these unwanted emotions. He shifted them around in my head until they were more manageable; emotions that could be used to fuel my actions, rather than cripple me.

It took close to a decade, but the wolves finally turned and the two sides of the border congregated.

Carlisle pushed me towards the back, warning me not to speak until I was calm enough to be rational. In her head, Rosalie doubted there was a single time in my life I was ever calm enough to be rational.

“Sam,” Carlisle addressed the pack, “We accept your truce. What can we do to help?”

Sam was quiet. He didn’t want to be here, but the pack convinced him that we would be the only ones who would help them get Jacob back. Braver than the rest to speak up against her Alpha, Leah went over the events that led to Bella and Jacob being escorted away by Aro.

Unable to contain my fury anymore, I broke through the family. “You just let them take her?” I growled at Sam.

He was unrepentant, “The life of one, small girl in return for the safety of my people? It was the easiest decision I had ever made.”

“She could die!” I roared.

“And how many of my people had died for the sake of convenience for yours, Colonizer?”

Alice and Jasper quietly grunted in agreement.

Carlisle could see that I was about to blow, and quickly stepped between Sam and me. Shoving me back, he apologized, “Sam, I deeply regret the actions of my ancestors, and in fact, I apologize for not stepping in myself to prevent the injustices that your people suffered,” he turned to his black son and Japanese daughter, “for all of your people. However, this is not the time nor place to discuss these things.

“Right now, two people cared for by everybody in this here have been taken. I have no idea what their intentions would be with Jacob, but I know with Bella in their grasp, they have the ability to control my entire family. Arguing is a waste of precious time. What we need to do now, is come together and help one another. Do I make myself clear?”

“We are here for Jacob,” Sam clarified.

Other wolves internally refuted that, only willing to admit to themselves that they were worried for Bella as well in front of their Alpha.

“We know where the coven is, we are planning to attack them. We could certainly use more numbers, and your pack is more than welcome to join,” Carlisle offered.

Sam agreed.

“We appreciate your flexibility and trust,” Carlisle said, “Now that we know they have Bella And Jacob, we should get going. You and Jasper will discuss strategy on the way.”

“The coven relocated to a mansion outside of Windsor over in the UK,” I explained to the pack, “Everyone comfortable with flying?”

The pack looked to each other nervously, muttering to each other about tickets and SeaTac and those little packets of pretzels.

“Don’t worry about any of that,” I assured them, “We’re going take our jet.”

“You own a jet?” Seth asked, incredulously.

“We own two jets,” Alice corrected, “The family jet and Carlisle and Esme’s personal jet.”

Emmett nodded, “For sex stuff.”

Esme smacked him on the back of his head, “Emmett Cullen!”

I shrugged at Seth, “Commercial airlines can get uncomfortable for us.”

“’Cause you’re tall?” Quil guessed.

“…because of blood.”

Ignoring all of this, Carlisle went over the details of the jet with Sam: what runway it was parked at, how to get there, what to look for. Still dumbfounded over the concept of our family jet, the pack followed us to the house, where Esme promised clothes and food for all of them.

Nineteen strong, we set off to take down the most powerful coven in the world and rescue my love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay it may seem like Bella is going to be a bit of a one-trick pony, but please trust me


	40. Bleeding

**B-POV**

For the rest of the afternoon, I sat in Aro’s office, watching him fill out paperwork and fight with his printer. Around dinnertime, a stunning red-headed vampire flitted into the office to hand me my standard meal of a protein bar and a water bottle.

Before she could vanish, Aro stopped her. “Victoria, dear,” he called, “I haven’t seen you since your return. Please, sit.”

“Sorry, Aro, but Riley needs me to—”

“It was not a question, dear.”

The threat in his statement could not have been more clear if he had held a gun up to her head. Victoria sat on the chair next to mine, her hands twisted together in her lap.

Aro laughed, “Why isn’t this a fun little meet-up. Victoria, Isabella is the mate of the whelp I sent you to kill in December. It was the very first time you were defeated, wasn’t it, darling?”

Victoria tightened her jaw, but responded in a light, upbeat tone, “Yes, Master. I was alluded by the telepath and his family, just as you were.”

Aro's eyes darkened, but his ghastly smile remained stretched across his face, “And Isabella, Victoria is the vampire your boyfriend followed for those few weeks. Remember when you two were apart? He missed you so much during that time; your little voice over the phone was the only thing that kept him going. Now, what would happen if he were to go without it, hm?”

I held my tongue; I refused to ever speak to this demon.

“Victoria, my darling, please offer me your hand. I would like to see Garrett’s death from your eyes. Heidi did not see what killed him, she was too busy losing to the wolves.” He held out his hand, expectantly.

Victoria rose from her seat, “I am sorry, Master. I am not ready to share those thoughts with you. I am still grieving. After the ball, perhaps. During the memorial service.” She turned to leave Aro’s office but was stopped by a massive, hulking figure looming in the doorway. “Hello, Erik,” she greeted nervously.

Aro was now standing on the opposite side of her, “I don’t recall asking for permission.”

Now she was begging, which seemed to do nothing to encourage her master further. “Aro, they are my thoughts! You will get them all, you always get them all, but please! Give me some time.”

He seized her arm and was lost in the past. When he returned, he smiled sadly. “I expected better of you, my dear. After all I have given you. I forgave you when you left that disgraceful family alive. I turned the other cheek when you were stupid enough to lead them to Heidi’s hideous hideout in Greenland. But this? Choosing someone over me? Your Master? The one who saved you from stalking prey in those miserable bogs and provided you with this fabulous life? I’m heartbroken.”

Casual, businesslike, he wrapped his hand around her throat, “This is going to heart me more than it’s going to hurt you.”

The motions were too fast for me to see, but Aro lost his painfully polished demeanor and attacked her like a vampire. When he was through, Victoria was torn to pieces strewn across his office, and Aro was crouched over her detached torso, a hand still in his mouth. He looked around the room with distaste. Already trained in what to do in this sort of situation, Erik began picking up the pieces.

“Marcus! Casius,” Aro nearly shrieked, frantically fixed his mused hair.

The brothers appeared in his office almost immediately. Casius frowned at the body parts actively being scooped up by Aro’s bodyguard, “Aro! We have protocols for these things.”

“There is no time for that bullshit,” Aro hissed, “The Cullens are coming.”

“What?” Marcus gasped, “What did you see?”

Aro ignored his brother’s questions, “Demetri!”

A hulking figure nearly identical to Felix appeared in the doorway, “Master?”

“Distribute the wine,”

“But your event, Master. There are only eight hours left until—”

“Canceled.”

“Master—”

“You will do as I say and distribute the wine. Bring me a bottle as well.”

“…Sweet of savory, Master?”

Aro’s head wobbled as he considered, “Sweet. After the day I’ve had a deserve a treat.”

Aro took me by my good arm and dragged me out of his office. The three brothers barely noticed my struggle to keep up as they marched down the maze of hallways through their mansion.

“If you truly believe they are coming, we should send the girl away with Erik," Marcus suggested.

“Of course, they’re coming. Garrett betrayed us and I’m sure he’s told his new little tramp everything. They would be idiots to not take advantage of our weakness. The girl stays here.”

We were outside now, walking on the stone path that led to the pavilion. It was raining, just as it had been every moment of every day since we arrived at this place. I spotted Jacob, laying dejectedly in the ridiculous doghouse he was forced into. _Don’t worry, Jacob, I’ll save you too._

Casius spoke as we walked, “We could leave if you wish, brother.”

Aro growled at that idea. “No. We destroy them here once and for all. From what Victoria and Heidi could see, there will only be thirteen of them, with the addition of the traitors. They will be no match for our Guard, even with their little abilities.”

“What do you wish us to do?” The other brother asked.

“We feed. We wait. We ambush. Simple as that.”

Regal and lethal as monarch, Aro addressed his coven of the upcoming situation. Tensions were high but the three brothers were able to keep everyone focused on what was to come.

I couldn’t help but smile when Demetri reappeared, for I already knew the bad news he was about to disclose. Unable to speak the words aloud, Demetri meekly held his hand out for Aro. Eyebrow raised in disapproval at his lackey's empty hands, Aro took one in his. This time when he reemerged, he was venomously angry.

He threw me on the ground, “You little bitch!”

His brothers looked askance at him. Instead of answering, he glared at Demetri, “Find your spine and tell them all what you discovered.”

Demetri turned to face his coven and regretfully informed them that their blood store had been tampered with. No one had to guess who the culprit was. The group of vampires looked to Aro for instruction, who simply waved one hand in the air and said, “Feed.”

I hoped that they would all turn to me, frenzied and starving, and have at it, maybe taking a few of each other out, just to even up the numbers more for Edward’s sake. Instead, Marcus barked a few more orders, giving more instruction on where to go, who can go off father based on speed, requesting no more than two people to any given radius for the sake of discretion.

I frowned as almost half of the coven dissolved into the trees. It wasn’t ideal, but I could still make this work. They might not want to kill me outright, but once my blood was flowing freely, they would not be able to resist.

Before I could cut myself, I had one more important priority to attend to: my sun. Now that my plan was in motion and Edward would be saved from his bond to me any time now, I had to rescue Jacob. Jacob had risked his life for mine, and though he was constantly harassed by this sick coven, he made an effort in the nights in our suite to still make me smile. I did not deserve his friendship any more than I deserved Edward’s love. The two would be better off without me as a constant thorn in their sides. As much as I appreciated Jacob’s self-appointed role as my personal bodyguard, he should not have to risk himself for me anymore. He could find his way back to Forks, back to his Dad, back to the pack.

Taking advantage of the distraction, I managed to crawl my way over to Jacob. His ears went back as if he was asking me _“What’s wrong?”_. I struggled to loosen the collar, for one of my arms was still uselessly bound in a sling. Eventually, I got it loose. I was expecting to have to push Jacob away, to convince him to run, but the second he was free, he tore off into the woods, like he had somewhere to be. _Good_ , I thought to myself, _there’s nothing left here_.

With Jacob gone and the vampires’ attention still on the Cullens’ imminent arrival, I needed to act now. Being a klutz my entire life, I knew all too well how easy it was to make myself bleed. Pushing aside all of the doctors’ warnings from all of the stitches I had received in my life, I picked at the freshly formed scab on my arm where Edward sewed me up. It felt gross and childish and it definitely lacked all of the panache Aro spoke of in his plans, oddly enough the thought of his disgust and disappointment kind of made me like the idea a bit more. Thankfully, I was bleeding after a little pick.

The conversation between the three brothers came to an abrupt halt; Marcus raised one eyebrow at me. I raised my arm up towards them defiantly, daring them with my eyes to take a sip.

Aro merely chuckled at my display, “What? Did you think you would spare your love the agony of choosing between you and his family by giving your life to us? My guard is much more refined than your animalistic Cullens. If commanded, they wouldn’t drink your blood if they were dying of thirst.”

Startled by this, I glanced around at the vampires surrounding me. None of them were frenzied or ravenous at the sight of my blood like I expected them to be. They merely looked on at my interaction with their master with disinterest, some with pity.

Effortlessly, Aro lifted me from the ground. Using only his fingernail, he traced along the line of the stitches on my arm, breaking them, causing my arm to bleed more. I cried out in shock, horror, pain. I wasn’t sure.

He dropped me back to the ground. “No, my vampires can resist your blood,” his face twisted into a mocking frown, “Unfortunately we can’t say the same of your mate, now can we? It’s a shame he’s on his way to get you now.”

Aro’s glee for his upcoming victory was tangible. It was all over now. According to Victoria, Edward and his family would arrive at any moment now. And Aro would use my useless, bleeding body to taunt Edward in whatever way he saw fit. The hopelessness welling up inside brought useless, stupid tears to my eyes. _Edward…_

“Oh, Bella. You are such a good little girl,” Aro practically sang, unable to resist rubbing it in, “It’s almost as if you want him to suffer.”

The rain had picked up. I lay my face on the ground in defeat. There was nothing I could do now. Every time I tried to help, I only ended up making matters worse. I ruined the fight with the newborns, I got kidnapped by the enemy and, now, Edward was going to—I couldn’t finish the thought. I shuttered, but not from the chilly rain.

Suddenly, the three brothers tilted their heads towards a sound too faint for my human ears. “What the fuck is it now?” Aro sneered.

**E-POV**

We soared through the air at seven hundred and eleven miles per hour, and yet it was not fast enough. My entire world was stolen from me a coven hell-bent on destroying my family for simply seeing human life as sacred.

In the back of the plane, I held my head in my hands, hopelessly. As much as I loved flying, it was too sunny for me to sit in the cockpit, so I was in the back of the plane with the other sun-sensitive passengers, while Carlisle flew the plane with Rose as his co-piolet. Over the last two days, we had talked through our plan of attack repeatedly— constructing back-up plan after back-up plan for every scenario we could think of. I have never prepared for anything this meticulously in my life.

Our plan was fairly straightforward, or so we’d hoped. Phase One was simply taking out as much of Aro’ Guard as we could—the addition of the wolves made this significantly easier, but we would still be outnumbered nineteen-to-thirty-one. One hope was that I would be able to get to Bella during Phase One, to tell her about her upcoming role, or to rescue her—based on the condition in which I find her. However, something as simple as her being in the house thwarted that hope.

Then, we had thousands of iterations of Phase One-And-A-Half which would take care of anything that went wrong during Phase One, so we could get to Phase Two. In the end, the seven members of the Cullen family would proudly meet up with Aro, Casius, and Marcus to share a few parting words before we destroyed them. Easy-Peasy.

Eleazar flitted around to our passengers, giving assignments on who he wanted each person to kill, and who to merely incapacitate. The wolves had all gotten their assignments and were comparing their intended prey, using their powers as identifiers to whom among them Eleazar thought was the most badass. Garrett had an aerial view of Aro’s mansion pulled up on Google Earth, going over attack patterns with Leah, for their Beta was taken, and their Alpha was sulking, wishing he were anywhere other than a private jet of filthy-rich leeches.

Sam was not the only person on the plane in a bad mood. Alice pouted prettily in her seat towards the back of the plane, wearing sunglasses and a headscarf, despite the fact that the plane was as dark as possible to accommodate vampires. The wolves were involved in every decision we made, so she could not see the outcome of any of them, making her feel stupid and useless. When Eleazar sat beside her to go over her prey, he received nothing more than a frown.

“And what is my assignment?” There was nothing Alice hated more than asking a question she didn’t already know the answer to.

Eleazar smiled knowingly at her little sneer and handed her my hand-drawn image of Aro’s massive, teleporting bodyguard, Erik.

Alice lowered her sunglasses to give Eleazar a look, “Him?”

“It’ll be during Phase Two when the wolves are gone. Aro never lets his escape plan fight. You might be the only person who can take down Erik. He has to decide where he teleports before he takes the jump,” he winked. A devious grin breaking out on her pretty, porcelain face, Alice began imaging all the ways she could institute a surprise attack on the hulking beast. Eleazar laughed at the sudden change in demeanor and moved on to Emmett.

 _And you know your part, Edward_. he thought as me as he passed me.

“I know,” I sighed, not entirely thrilled with my role, but understanding why it had to be done. I wanted to be the one to kill Aro. Tear him to shreds for terrorizing my family, for leaving me for dead, for taking away my love. I helplessly clung to the hope that Bella wouldn’t be in the house and I could get to her, which seemed unlikely. Because Jacob was with her, Alice couldn’t see her. And that fact had been driving me insane. Eleazar and Garrett promised that Aro would have more spectacular plans than chaining her up in a dark, dingy cell, but I couldn’t shake the image out of my head.

Finally, _finally,_ we landed smoothly at Farnborough Airport. It was already raining; ideal weather for a vampire assault. From here, it was a forty-minute run to Aro’s mansion outside of Windsor. After a few infuriating moments of pretending to play human for the employees at the small, private airport, we were ready to make our move.

As discreetly as possible, we slunk into the woods along the perimeter of the airport. We sent the wolves in first. They were to antagonize the guard first in a surprise attack. Even if Aro and his flunkies were expecting us, they most certainly would not expect a pack of werewolves.

Once the wolves were far enough away, Alice began to double-check parts of our plan. “Something’s changed,” Alice announced. “How long has she been without Jacob?”

“Alice, can you see Bella?” I asked.

“They’re splitting up?” She questioned. Vampires from Aro’s guard popped in and out of her mind, all deciding where to go. “Eleazar!” she laughed, “The guard is splitting up!”

“Bella?” I tried to get my sister to focus for just a second. But Alice’s mind was racing through thousands of new futures, as Aro’s coven made this new, unexpected decision.

“Are you sure, Alice?” Elazar asked.

“Yes, oh my god! They’re sending out twelve members of the guard to hunt and bring back food!”

Carmen was shocked, “They’ve never done anything like that before, what could have happened?”

Alice searched for an answer. She was able to find several conversations between pairs of vampires mourning the loss of their sweet, bottled blood that had been spoiled by Vervain, and excitedly shared her discovery with the rest of the family. “Bella must have put her Vervain in their blood!”

“Aha!” Garrett cheered and slapped me on the back, “What a woman you got there!”

Bella poisoned the blood. I felt a swell of pride and forced the pride to overpower the horrifying realization that my human girlfriend just angered a coven full of powerful vampires.

Eleazar ran his fingers through his hair in disbelief, “They’re splitting up the guard! We can easily take on twelve individually. The wolves will take out six, easy and that leaves what? Eight of them?”

“Bella?” I asked, “Can you see Bella now?”

Jasper encouraged her to look elsewhere, “Where Alice? Where are they going?”

Alice was sorting through her new visions, trying to look for details. My family was crowded around her, pulling out phones. Alice placed her hands on her head, like she was nursing a headache, “I see one at a cemetery, stalking a grieving widow.”

My family furiously typed on their individual phones, searching for graveyard locations, “I got it!” Rosalie announced, and she was off.

“Meet at the rendezvous point, Rose! Not the house!” Carlisle called after his daughter.

“I see a sign,” Alice continued, “Little Monkey’s Nursery, two are planning to hunt the cleaning crew.”

“On it!” Emmett said after a quick Google search.

“Bella,” I begged, “Can you see Bella?”

“In a second,” she hissed, “There are three about to stalk a couple of boys from a pretentious-looking boarding school…” she searched desperately for the name of the school.

I recognized the emblem on their sweaters; Carlisle considered sending me there at one point, “Eton College,”

“Perfect, Edward!” Alice cheered, “Girls?” she asked the Denali sisters.

“We’ll get them!” And they were off too after looking at the map on their phones.

This went on for a few more seconds, Alice searched the future for an upcoming vampire, and one of the members of our crew went to stop them. I recognized a mated pair and a single vampire that Eleazar and Carmen thought we would spare, and they went off with Garrett to catch those three and send them away.

“Bella!” I pleaded, ready to drop to my hands and knees to grovel.

“Christ, Edward, she’s still at the house!” Alice flashed me an image of Bella, laying in the grass beside a doghouse.

“She’s outside!” I can get to her!

“Go, now,” Alice instructed, “Oh! If you go this way, you’ll run into a vamp!” She showed me the turns she wanted me to make in the woods.

I was off in a heartbeat. Well, I would be if I had one.

I followed Alice’s directions and quickly crossed paths with a member of Aro’s guard. I could hear in his thoughts that he saw me as well, and he climbed up a tree for a surprise attack. I didn’t have the time or patience to cleverly outmaneuver him, so I played along, standing where he was hoping I would stand. He was on me, raining blows down on my head, my neck. He fought recklessly, almost frenziedly, in a way that made it difficult to follow his actions in his mind. Still, I easily evaded his assault. I came behind him. He spun back to dodge the attack and lunged at me; teeth bared like a dog’s. I ducked beneath his arm and sunk my teeth into his side, tearing. From there, it was simple to tear the beast to shreds. I threw his body in different directions, knowing someone would come to clean up the mess. I had more important matters to attend to than burning a body. In mere seconds, I was back on my rightful path towards Bella.

Without Jasper rummaging around in my head, tampering down my emotions for me, I was beginning to lose it. Fear and frustration surged to the forefront of my mind. Nothing mattered but the safety of my Bella. I was so close to her, now. The darkest part of me wished I could abandon my plan, abandon my family. All I wanted was to scoop my Bella into my arms and take her far, far away from this place. Earn her forgiveness and trust for my boorish behavior and devote the rest of my existence to her happiness. But I had a family to protect as well. And I would not let them suffer any more than I would allow my Bella to suffer.

I broke through the tree line of the property. The wolves had led the three brothers and their remaining guard away from the house towards the south, just as intended. It was a relief to hear Jacob’s wolfy thoughts as well, fighting along with his pack.

Then, I finally heard it. The most heartbreaking, enchanting song: Bella’s precious heartbeat and her sweet, shallow breath.

However, sweeter than the music in my ears was the intoxicating flavor that filled the air. Before me, my singer was openly bleeding.


	41. Into the Flames

**E-POV**

I cut off oxygen right away and continued forward towards her. I may not be able to discuss anything with her right now, but I could run her away from Aro’s proximity and leave her in the protection of Jacob and the rest of the wolves without breathing.

She was so small, curled up in a fetal position in the grass. It pained me to know that I had put her into this situation. She was not here because she was clumsy or accident-prone or human. She was here because I had made her feel so worthless and inadequate, she felt the need to prove herself. I forced myself to make a sound in order to not scare her at my approach.

Bella started and looked up, her eyes widening as she realized it was me who suddenly appeared. She scrambled to her feet as I stood frozen, looking at her, drinking in the very sight of her. Even wet and sad looking, she was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

She stared back at me, sadness and fear pouring out of her too-big eyes, “You can’t be here,” she whispered fiercely.

I moved forward slowly, but she took another step back, “Please leave, Edward. I’m not worth it.”

Begging her to remain still with my eyes, I reached for her again, but she backed off once more, “I’ll scream, Edward. This is for your own good, just leave. Leave and I’ll be no good to them.”

I set my jaw and shook my head, inviting her into my arms.

“Edward, please,” she began openly crying, “All I am is a burden you are forced to bear. I am freeing you from that burden. Go away.”

It was horrifyingly clear that she genuinely believed my love for her was no more than a supernatural obligation. I had made those matters worse, as my misguided attempt to care for her only made her feel like more of a strain in my life. Her beautiful chocolate eyes were hardened with sadness and fear.

I wanted to erase both the sadness and the fear. I wanted to see those eyes shine at me again. I used the rest of the oxygen in my lungs to choke out an apology, “Bella, I am so, so sorry that I have not spoken the words you needed to hear.”

She gaped at my words but swallowed and composed herself quickly, “You don’t need to say anything, Edward. I understand that it was beyond your control,” She laughed one cold, hard laugh, “It makes the most sense, anyway. You’re perfect. What other reason would you want anything to do with me unless you didn’t have a choice?”

It was my turn to gape upon realizing that she thought I meant to confirm her insane theories as to why I was with her. I cursed myself for using my last breath to say the wrong thing to her, yet again.

As I took a breath to speak again, my senses were flooded immediately with her excruciating scent, which was amplified by her fear. I paused for a millisecond to brace myself but noted, oddly, the desire I expected was trumped by the overwhelming need to protect. I took another tentative step forward, took another sharp inhale. Her blood sang a sweet little song, but the emotional pull I felt towards her was a powerful orchestration, glorious and triumphant. Nothing would ever compare to the taste of Bella’s blood, but if I ever succumbed, she would be gone forever. The satisfaction would be fleeting and the despair eternal. This knowledge was the final thing I needed to silence the monster forever and gave me the strength to stand in front of her, less than an arm’s length away.

Overcome with joy over the fact that I was breathing before my beloved singer without the urge to kill her, I blurted out the first thing that came to my mind, without really thinking it through, “I’m socially inept.”

The sadness in her eyes was briefly replaced with confusion.

I attempted to recover, “I’m trying to say that I’m not perfect, sweetheart. It makes me happier than I’d like to admit that you think that, but only if it’s not hurting you. The moment my positives become things that fuel your opinion of yourself is when they cease to be of any good to me. Do you see what I’m saying?”

“No…”

Of course not. My elation over my newfound control had me blabbering like an idiot. I needed to get to the point, I needed her to come with me, “Take me off of the pedestal, sweetheart, please.”

Her sad expression did not clear. “Taking you off of a pedestal doesn’t immediately make me good enough for you, Edward. You’re unable to see me clearly, I get it.”

“Why can’t you see them? Why can’t you see all the reasons that make me so desperate to be with you? Smart, beautiful, brave, warm…”

“No,” she argued, her voice starting to shake, “Edward, please leave me here. I know it doesn't feel like it now, but you'll be happier without me in the long run.”

“Bella, I will never want anyone but you.”

“You _have_ to say that,” she sniffed, “You have to believe those things because I’m your _mate_ ,” she spat the word like it was an oath.

“It’s true that you are my mate. But please believe me when I tell you, you are so much more to me than that. You’re my hero, Bella. You saved my sister last December. You saved my family with what you did here tonight. You saved me, not just in that greenhouse, but in every way imaginable.”

Gently, I unfurled her shaking fingers from her fist and pulled her hand toward me. I placed it over my chest, holding it there with my hand covering it. “You’re my inspiration. Not only does your beauty inspire my music, but you inspire me to be stronger and better for you each and every day. Look what I’m doing now, my singer! I could not have found the strength inside myself to do this without you to inspire it.”

I could feel Bella’s entire frame shaking. The tremors were coursing through her as she blinked up at me. My own body was quaking as I restrained myself from closing the small distance between us and wrapping her against me. “You’re my best friend. It is your company that I seek. It is your wonderful, silent mind that I wish to engage. It is your arms in which I take comfort.

“And it’s not just me, my wonderful, beautiful love. You’re also a best friend to Jacob and to Alice. And a cherished sister to Emmett, Jasper, and Rose. And a beloved daughter to Carlise, Esme, and Charlie.”

Silent tears began falling down her face. I cupped her cheek, my thumb drawing small circles on her soft skin. “So, no I will not leave, Isabella Marie Swan. I am going to save you, not only because you are my entire world, but also because the world needs your brave soul, your kind heart, and your inquisitive mind in it forever.”

With a sob, she launched herself at me and I caught her. Her good arm wrapped around my neck as I held her shaking body against me. Her face was buried in my chest, deep sobs ripping from her throat. I lowered us down to the grass, keeping her held against me as she cried. I rested my face against her soft hair, inhaling the fragrance of it as whispered and crooned nonsensical words to her, reveling in the fact I had her back in my arms.

“Bella…” I whispered, ducking my head down to press my lips to hers. Their softness molded to mine so easily, as if that was where they were meant to be. Slowly, tentatively, our mouths moved, welcoming the feeling of being joined back together. My hand wound into her wet hair, pulling her closer, tilting her head as I deepened the kiss. My tongue dipped and slid along hers, her taste filling my mouth and overwhelming me with its sweetness. However, the monster was nowhere in sight, forever silenced by love. Groaning, I wrapped my arm around her pressing her against me as we discovered each other again.

It was a kiss of want and need.

Of forgiveness and regret.

It was filled with the pain of the past and the promise of the future.

“Oh, Edward,” she broke the kiss, “I’m so sorry.”

I drew her closer and nuzzled my face into her hair, “It’s alright, sweetheart. I’m sorry, too.”

“I love you.”

“Every single part of me loves every single part of you.”

The rain picked up, effectively popping the little bubble the two of us created out here on the lawn. I listened for the wolves, who had finished killing enough vampires and were beginning to push the three masters back towards the house for us to finish them off. Deep in the woods, I could also hear my family congregating, mostly Emmett loudly boasting how fast we took down his opponents. Again, I wished I could tuck Bella into my arms and run her to safety, but I had learned my lesson the hard way. Bella was my equal in every way—she had proven that time and time again. For the rest of time, she would be the decision-maker in our relationship. It was time for me to join my family.

“Now, darling, one of two things could happen. I could take you right now, and the two of us could go far, far away from here. Or, we could help the rest of my family take down the guard.”

I already knew my brave, little warrior’s answer. “Stay.”

“Alright,” I pulled her up for another kiss, “Here’s how it’s about to go down…”

**OoO**

The eight remaining members of the guard stood surrounded by werewolves as we approached the house.

“Ah, Carlisle!” Aro clapped his hands, “I figured this was your doing. What a delight it is to meet you!”

“The pleasure is mine,” Carlisle smiled with false warmth, “May we come inside?”

“Yes, yes. Of course. Cullen family, you are welcomed into my home.”

“Thank you,” Carlisle bowed his head. Then, to the wolves, “Thank you, gentlemen. We can take it from here.”

The wolves backed off from the remaining guard, allowing all of us to enter the house. They knew to stay out of Alice’s range until they had been given the signal.

We followed Aro, Casius, and Marcus into a grand room with a fire ranging in an enormous fireplace. The room must have been intended to be used as a large dining room by the architect, but as vampires, they did not need a dining room table. And as ranging sociopaths, they didn’t need to feign civility. So, the room was void of any furniture.

Aro and his two brothers stood to the right of the fireplace, flanked by guards. The children were slightly off to this side, their presence off-putting. We positioned ourselves in a loose semi-circle to the left of the fireplace.

“What would you like to discuss?” Aro asked my father.

Carlisle stated his demand, “I would like for you to leave my family alone. We have not done you any harm.”

“I disagree, for your children had killed members of their own kind, members of my own guard. I see that as quite harmful.”

“My children were only doing what they felt was right. You and your guard may hide your disgusting violence in fancy houses with wine glasses, but that doesn’t mean your merciless killing is right.”

“Merciless killing? I am simply feeding myself, Carlisle. How is this any different from the thousands of animals humans kill for sustenance? Better yet, how is it different than the animals _you_ kill for sustenance?”

Carlisle suppressed an eye roll, “You know how it is different. We are not sucking away souls when we feed from animals.”

“And you think every human soul is worth saving?”

“What would it take for you to leave us alone?” Carlisle pressed, not in the mood for this pointless debate.

“It will be easy, Carlisle. All you will have to do is walk yourself into this fireplace right here, to atone for sins you have committed against your own kind. From there, your family can choose to follow your path into the flames or to join my guard. Although, I think I already know what our Edward will choose,” he winked at me, “Bloodless, painless, dare I say peaceful.”

“You wish for me to die for the sins you believe I have committed?” Carlisle asked.

“I wish for _you_ to wish to die for your transgressions,” Aro clarified. “It’s all your fault, after all. It honestly breaks my heart to see our kind reduced to this, Carlisle. You have such powerful members in your coven, who could help strengthen our kind. With Edward and Alice by my side, the vampire race could have true omnipotence. The humans could not defeat us if we held such knowledge, such power. And yet, you put humans above your own kind and deny your fellow vampires this power. You force these poor children into civility for what? To play house with a bunch of humans? To sit among them, struggling to fit in, pretending to be just as lowly and pathetic?”

“We all find great comfort in living among humans, Aro. I have never forced any members of my family into anything. It may be a struggle at times, but holding onto our souls—our humanity—is well worth that bit of struggle and then some.”

Aro pouted, “What a pity.”

It was a signal for Erik. Faster than light, Erik appeared in front of Carlisle to snap his neck.

Fortunately, Alice could see it coming from a mile away. She timed her jump perfectly so she would be landing on the brute the second he reappeared. Always the performer, she placed two hands on either side of his head, raised her entire body up in the air in a handstand, and swung down to kick him in the chest with both feet. His head was in her hands when she landed lightly on the floor, the headless body stumbled and fell before her.

“Oh, my,” Aro clicked his tongue in disapproval, “I did not think we needed reminders to be civil, Carlisle. Your humanity and grace had been spoken of so highly, I thought you were above this.”

Like he wasn’t the one who just tried to assassinate my father.

Alice tossed the head into the fireplace. “Whoops,” she shrugged.

“Felix,” Aro instructed. The large figure beside him ghosted away. “Now, I’m sure your family already knows what we possess here. I would encourage you to not act in such a way again.”

I did not have to act pained when Bella was dragged into the room by that spineless henchman. Felix had given her a small towel to dry herself slightly, not for her own wellbeing, but because he knew Aro would not want his flooring ruined. He had also wrapped her bleeding arm in a cloth, to keep it contained until a more opportune moment. Though I knew her secret role, as well as the item I had given her on the lawn, it was terrifying to see her in the hands of the enemy.

“Here we are!” Aro sang as Felix handed him my Bella. He took her chin and turned her face from side to side, disappointed with her current appearance and how this all played out. “Edward, though this little thing may look like a drowned rat, I assure you, it is your mate.”

I growled for his benefit.

The villain tucked my Bella into his side. “If I were you, I would discourage your family from partaking in any more… unsavory behavior.” He threw me a wicked grin.

Once again, I did not have to act out the fear and longing I felt for her.

Soon after, Jacob and Sam stalked back into the house, after seeing Bella brought in. They stuck to the shadows, waiting for our signal to pounce.

Aro resumed his speech, still under the impression that he was in control of the situation. “If you are as honorable as they say, you will want to give yourself up for your family.” He shook Bella, taunting me with her, “I have the means to force the whelp to do it, Carlisle. Either way, I will win, you will lose. Step into the flames yourself, and you can make this encounter a _humane_ one.”

It happened fluidly, gracefully. Almost like a dance. While he was threatening Carlisle, Bella took the wooden stake I had given her out of her sweatshirt pocket, and stabbed Aro in the heart through his back, just as she had to James those many months ago. As I leaped across the room to catch her in my embrace, Rosalie and Carlisle simultaneously dove at Casius and Marcus and tore their heads from their shoulders with their teeth. Jacob and Sam had destroyed the demon twins before I could turn around and were moving to assist Emmett and Jasper fighting Felix and Demetri, though they did not seem to need the assistance.

After the two brutes fell, the nine of us looked around at each other, finally relieved. They were gone. The threat looming over my family for months had been destroyed. Even as I watched my family and the wolves throw pieces of the enemy into the raging fireplace to burn, it still did not feel real.

In my arms, Bella was shaking. Whether it was from the rain, or out of fear, or from my cold skin, I did not know.

“Good job, my love,” I whispered against her temple then pressed my lips to the same spot, “It’s over. You did it.”

Emmett blew out a huge breath, “Seriously?” he asked, eyebrows raised, “That was it? There’s no more of these assholes?”

I shook my head and laughed at my brother’s shock and disappointment. He was hoping for a real brawl. I, however, greatly appreciated the ease.

Which reminded me, “Don’t think we’re not amazed at what you did here,” I said to Bella, stroking her soaked hair.

“Yes!” Jasper exclaimed, “Well done, sister mine. You have no idea how well your Vervain plan worked in our favor!” As the other members of the family congratulated her for her bravery and wit, she tucked herself further and further into my arms.

Reluctantly, I handed her off to my father and mother to be stitched up and cleaned up before our flight home. While they were with Bella, my siblings and I looked through the house, cleaning and destroying any traces of vampire activity. Emmett reenacted his two fights while we worked, lightening up the atmosphere considerably, as Emmett always does. While Rosalie and Jasper searched Aro’s office for the appropriate documentation for all of their fronts, they made the most brilliant discovery. I was down the stairs and plucking it from Rosalie’s hand before she could even think to call my name. My Daylight Amulet. They both laughed at my extreme reaction, but I couldn’t help it. I was sick and tired of being a real vampire and more than ready to be in the sun again.

Soon after we had finished in the house, Carlisle and Esme reemerged with Bella, and I swept her back up into my arms. I tucked Bella’s head into my neck using my chin before my family raced into the woods to meet the rest of our team at our rendezvous location. Deep in the English forest, our friends were waiting for us. An enormous bonfire blazed in the middle of the clearing, presumably charring the various vampire remains and sealing our victory.

Everyone cheered as Carlisle announced our triumph, hugging and kissing like the ball just dropped on New Year's Eve. I joined in, reveling in my deep kiss with Bella, unable to release her quite yet. She seemed to feel the same, snuggling right back up into my chest after I had broken our kiss.

Carlisle found Sam in the crowd first, thanking him once more for his willingness to help our family, despite the Broken Treaty. “Would you be willing to write up another one?” he asked, “We will agree to whatever terms you see fit.”

“The Treaty with your family will remain broken,” Sam decided, “However, my wolves know not to attack their friends.”

Carlisle laughed and brought the pack leader in for a hug, “Thank you.”

Sam’s cheeky smile at his joke shed years off of his face. Or, perhaps, it was the relief over the assured safety of his pack and his people, now that one vampire threat had been eliminated and the other had proven themselves trustworthy that lightened his expression.

“Jacob!” Bella’s little voice chirped.

Jacob wove through the bodies hugging and congratulating to get to Bella. He wrapped me up in a hug, squishing Bella between the two of us.

“Thank you for coming here with her, Jacob,” I said earnestly. “Thank you.”

“Not a problem,” he mussed Bella’s already tangled hair, “Between the two of us, I think we can manage to keep this one from hurting herself.”

“I don’t think the entire US militia could keep her from hurting herself.”

Jacob nodded, “True.”

“Hey!” Bella protested, “I’m right here!”

We both laughed and I pulled her closer so I could kiss her cheek.

An hour or so later, the celebration died out along with the fire, and we all decided it was time to make our long journey back to Forks.

“You have a private jet?” Bella asked as I walked her up the ramp.

I nodded, “It’s not as nice as the one I bought for you, though.”

\She leaned back so she could get a better angle on my expression, “You’re joking.”

I shrugged, my perfect poker face in place.

“Please tell me you’re joking!” she wailed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y’all. I literally forgot time change was a thing when I wrote these chapters… Welp. Oh well. Time is as real as vampires are.


	42. Two Become One

**B-POV**

After our return and subsequent celebration, all went back to normal. Well, as normal as it could get living as a vampire family. The Denali sisters went home, this time with three new additions: Kate’s new mate, Garrett, and Carmen and Eleazar. Both sides of the family vowed to stay vigilant to keep the world free of rogue vampires unwilling to live a vegetarian lifestyle. Perhaps one day the world would be ready to learn about their supernatural neighbors, but for now, all the vampires were content to live among them in secret.

My role in the takedown of the most powerful vampire coven in the world took me out of school for only a week. Carlisle—the blessing that he was—wrote doctors' notes for me and his children, excusing our absences. The rest of the semester passed in a blurry haze—possibly because Jessica, Angela, and I discovered the beauty and magic of Rosé Lemonades and featured them in all of our study sessions. I completed my first year of college with only six or seven life-threatening catastrophes, which I considered a success. My professors were continuously pleased with my work, especially in the creative writing department. They all wished me a great summer and were excited to see what adventures I would conjure up for them next semester.

The wolf pack returned safely and was praised by the Elders with the highest honors. Parties and celebrations went on for weeks at First Beach to celebrate their success. Our adventures were woven into new songs and tales to be told around the bonfire for years to come. Now that the Treaty was broken and moot, the Cullens were able to attend the legendary Quileute bonfires as well. The wolves and the Cullens continued with their various competitions, and as the indefinite judge, I always made sure the fudge the results to keep them in a tie. No longer under his Alpha’s thumb, Jacob was also able to get back together with Angela after only three days of groveling.

Billy invited Edward and me to his home and seeing Charlie was shocking. I had never seen him so comfortable and inviting; he was downright chipper. It warmed me to see him so complete and happy here with Billy, and I understood how the right kind of love from the right kind of person could ease all sorts of self-doubt and awkwardness. Billy seemed to do for Charlie what Edward did for me. We really did have the same taste in men. Billy promised the two would be married in the upcoming year, now that he was finally ready to clue Charlie in on the supernatural shenanigans around him.

Things with Edward went from great to wonderful. He was attentive, but not overbearing, helpful, but not controlling. He would make sure all of his love languages were welcome and would always be sure to ask me what I was thinking. It was new and weird, but utterly charming. I was even able to refrain from taking Vervain because Edward no longer needed it as a crutch to resist my blood. However, I got back on after the third time I ran into a wall because Emmett would compel me to forget what doors were. We had agreed to keep me human until I graduated from college. Even though I was ready to turn for him then and there, I was fine with the wait. It may or may not have been because I wanted a few more years to enjoy Rosé Lemonades and Lemon Basil Cakes.

The summer passed by peacefully and lazily, and I barely left Edward’s side. He took me to cities around the globe, passing them off as business trips because in each place we would attend a concert where at least one of his songs was played. When we were home, we spent as much time as possible as a family: game nights, beach days, camping. More often than once, an extreme game of Truth or Dare between Alice, Emmett, and I would have to come to an end when it became too much for poor Edward to handle. Apparently, Emmett’s dare to cover me in honey and set me in the woods to get licked by a bear was a big no-no, no matter how many vampires I had to watch over me. When school started again, Edward attended with me. It felt good to be back in his arms walking across the quad, where this all began.

One day that fall, he asked me if he could take me on a date that night. I smiled and agreed, loving how formal he could still be with me after all that we’ve been through together. It was November, and I was wrapped in a sweater and two jackets by the time we were ready to leave. He surprised me by scooping me up in his arms rather than leading me to his fancy black car. Nestled in his embrace, I tucked my face into his neck, and we were off.

When he slowed to a stop, I peeked out of hiding to see a vaguely familiar sight. We were in a small, round meadow. There was a fire blazing in a firepit in the middle, with blankets and cushions placed all around it. Fairy lights twinkled in the trees, enhancing the ethereal feeling in the space. He set me on my feet atop a white, croquet blanket and positioned himself in front of me.

“Here,” he informed me, “It was right here on this day last year when you appeared in front of me like an angel and answered every single one of my greatest desires.”

This was the place Alice compelled me to follow her too. Only last time, I was freezing in a sheer, chiffon dress.

He dropped to one knee, bringing out a satin box from his pocket and opening the lid with shaking fingers. He turned the ring around for me to see, but I couldn’t look away from his glistening golden eyes.

“I barely know where to begin. I’ve thought of a million things to say, a million songs to sing, but none of them seemed worthy of you, or of the task of asking you to be my wife. Isabella, my hero, my inspiration, my best friend, my everything… will you marry me?”

I nodded frantically, too busy laughing and crying and babbling to respond with the word, but Edward scooped me up and spun me around like I shouted it. He pulled me down so we were nestled in the blankets beside the fire. He took the ring from its box, and I sighed at the sight of the diamonds glittering in the firelight. I let Edward slide it onto my finger, already picturing him doing the same with the second ring, officially tying us together. I rested my head on his shoulder, reveling in the joy he’s given me.

“Now,” he started, pulling out a CD from his jacket pocket, “There is one song that gets relatively close to saying how I feel for you…” One of my favorites of Edward’s quirks was how he never bought a newer edition of a piece of music for the current times. He still had all of his records, cassettes, and CDs from the time he originally purchased them. He fished out a portable CD player from the sea of blankets. He was still looking at me while he popped this disc into place and handed me the CD case. “It’s in Swedish, but the heart of it is clear…” and pressed play.

His perfect brow furrowed when a piano riff sounded, followed by a jiving Seventies pop beat. I looked down at the case, realizing it was one of the CD’s I switched for Emmett’s dare months ago. Unwilling to let ABBA‘s _Dancing Queen_ ruin yet another proposal, I quickly hit stop.

Edward looked askance at me, and I moved into his lap and said, “I want only the two of us in this meadow tonight.”

He smiled and ran his fingers through my hair, “I can work with that.”

Slow, indulgent, and sweet; that was how it started. Tender butterfly kisses and gentle sweeps of our tongues as we tasted each other. Tiny nips and low moans were shared. He pulled me closer and my hands wound into his hair, tugging him down to me. Moments passed as our passion built and I no longer heard or felt anything but Edward. Our lips never ceased in their movements; only allowing me to break for air, and even then, his lips would find purchase on my warm, sensitive skin. With every touch, every kiss, and every thrust, we became melded together. For the two of us would be one, for the rest of our limitless existence. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We did it! We finished! Wow, and I thought writing the end of a chapter was hard… writing the end of an entire fic was a struggle. I want to thank each and every one of you for your follows/reviews/comments/kudos. When I first began posting, I was ready to just yell this fic into the void. Every single interaction was a surprise and a blessing, and I am so grateful for them. I can hardly believe it. 
> 
> This first fic of mine was a way to try on a bunch of different shoes, to figure out what I enjoyed writing most. And the answer to that is obvious: Cullen Family Fun. So, you will be seeing a lot of fun Cullen-centric stories here. Up next will be a rewrite of Eclipse where I fix everything I thought SM got wrong (which is kind of a lot.) It’ll be in Edward’s POV, so I can add in a whole lotta Cullens. Then, I got a few different outlines written out for some smaller stuff including a Beauty and the Beast-themed AU and a canon Cullen holiday fic. 
> 
> Thank you all again! I truly appreciate every single one of you. This fic really, truly helped me get through 2020. It’s incredible what the beautiful world of fanfiction and do for us.


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